Homeward Bound

Today I started my journey back to the States. Six months sooner than anticipated. As a member of the last group of PCVs in Azerbaijan for the foreseeable future, it was an interesting experience. I've learned almost as much about the United States as I have about Azerbaijan.

My Azerbaijan family sent me off with a glorious meal that I will remember. Good food and friends.



Goodbye Meal

 

I am currently at the Doha Airport in Qatar waiting for the second of my three leg trip. I will arrive in Philadelphia tomorrow morning heading to Michigan to spend the holidays with my Mother, my sister and her family.

Seattle is in my near future but don't have a definite timeline yet. I am looking forward to seeing everyone.

One week to go

I continue to wind down in Azerbaijan.

Last night I learned how to make red lentil soup from my host mom. It is a popular soup here in Azerbaijan and every cook has their own way of making. I like her soup because it is not smooth in texture but also not chunky. It also has a bit of a kick to it. I told her that I would be making it next week in America.

Yesterday, I also did my last load of laundry. The water was good and there were no clothes in the machine so I jumped on it. I had to leave for work before it was done, but my mother hung my clothes on the line for me. I took them down while they were slightly damp and finished drying them on the radiator. Almost smelled like they had been run through a dryer.

I have been thinking about what I will miss when I get back to the states. Here is a short list. I'm sure that it will change when I get home.

• I will miss the bus service. Not so much the crowded buses, but the fact that they all the time and usually the wait is no more than 10 minutes between buses. So if you see one passing before you get to the main road, you know that another will be along shortly. 
• Sitting in the kitchen with the women. Talking and cooking.
• The gardens with fruit trees and vegetables. Also, the chickens running around.
• The canned items from the gardens. Pickled cabbage, tomatoes, tomato and pepper sauce, pickled eggplant. And the olives that have that buttery taste.
• How you can come home and there is almost always one person there and there could be twenty. I think that I have come home about three times when there wasn't anyone there.
• How when my family occasionally fusses with each other; when they are done they are done and quickly switch back to joking with each other. I know that the discussion is pretty much over when my mom says "besti" basically telling everyone that that is enough.
• How my mom knows to start a sentence with "Patti" when she wants to talk to me. She knows that my Azerbaijan is not so good and when sitting with a group, I tune out. 
• Mostly it will be the people I have met. My family, people I've worked with, neighbors, my local market workers, the Peace Corps staff and the other volunteers.

Final Countdown

Well I have ten more days to go, so today I'm going with counts

• 4 more days of work
• 12 thank you notes to write
• 9 more nights
• 16 PCV's left (4 leave this week and 10 next week; the final 2 by the end of the month)
• 8 puppies (the street dog got pregnant again)
• 8 more walks on my muddy streets
• 2 close of service interviews
• 3 flights to get home

It has been a wonderful adventure, but I am ready to head back to the States and see what is next.