It happens every year. These final, quiet days of sadness as another year in Congo comes to a close. I spent a lot of time looking back (that's the reflection part of this blog) on all the new undertakings I attempted (the revelation part) and all the ways I forced myself to step out of my comfort zone (relocation) into a new space.
It's been a year of learning, letting go and looking with new eyes. Of course, I am still developing this last part as I search for clear direction and firm convictions. I've learned just how much 4 children can eat and just how far a dollar goes here in Kinshasa (those two ideas remaining at irreconcilable odds.) I've learned what kind of teacher I don't want to be and what kinds of passion I do want to follow. I've lost friendships and loves. I've let go of far away dreams and tried to place my feet firmly in the moment.
In these last days, it seems everyone is preparing for a journey, an adventure or a reunion. They are heading off to new lands, planning grand tours of various countries and stopping at home to spend comfortable days with relatives. I am trying to see the weeks stretching out in front of me with the same enthusiasm. I have a trip to the US planned, a course in curriculum development to immerse myself in and a visit with a friend. Under the gray morning skies of Kinshasa, I can only wonder how these events will change me yet again, unburden my perspective and fill it with new energy and life. They seem too far away to be enticing and America fills my mind with images of a pace I feel unprepared to adapt to. Much better to spend my evenings lost in Night Studies..... a beautiful book by Benjamin Madison describing a beautiful place to live.
