One Week

One week. Exactly 7 days until we leave the mountains. I have one more busy Sunday to work at the clinic, Kevin has 4 days left of school to teach. We have one week left of sleeping under our mosquito net, one week left fighting with our roommates the insects and rats, one week left of worrying about getting bit by malarious mosquitoes. We have one week left with our amazing team, one week left with the cute little kids that laugh and smile so easily, and the youth that are so energetic, one week left with these beautiful surroundings.

It doesn't really feel like we have only a week left, I started packing the other day, and realized I could only do so much, but that I was almost done with the actual packing. Most of our belongings we brought are used up or are going to stay here. We have a few pairs of clothes, a couple of souvenirs, and that's pretty much it. Most of it will be cleaning up, and getting our bamboo house ready for the next occupants.

Our food is getting skim too. We have lots of rice and oats left. That's about it along with a few seasonings, and some vegetables and coconut from locals and a few other ingredients. Good thing rice and oats can make a lot of things; oatmeal, rice, fried rice, cookies, coconut macaroons, oat and rice patties, oat and rice loaf, sweet coconut rice, rice and milk and bananas with cinnamon, rice and gravy.... yep, we're looking forward to the food at home. Although I've loved learning how to cook creatively here. I'm starting to say no to people who try to sell me some food because I won't be around long enough to use it. Bananas for example, won't ripen up in time if I buy any more.

We both got malaria one more time before leaving. I had it last week, Kevin had it this week; hopefully that will be it for malaria. We're just hoping not to come home with it. I wonder what's worse; applying deet to my skin every day or having malaria... not that deet is 100% mosquito proof all of the time... I've used it a lot this year, but sometimes not enough... I wonder what my hemoglobin is. I wonder if we have enlarged spleens. They're not big enough for me to feel... I can't wait to eat nutrient packed food.

I packed up all of our take home meds too. The dysentery drugs, the worm meds, the malaria meds...

I wonder what kind of emotions will flood me when I actually realize we are leaving. I wonder how the emotions of the people will affect me. I wish we could just zap into the next period of life. Goodbyes are good, but I don't like them either. But in one week, we'll be saying goodbye to Palawan.