Adios, Mayelin. Nos Vemos Pronto

August 25, 2013. So I know I haven't done much detailed writing as of late. There's a few reasons for that. 1. School started. And despite hardly any kids showing up, there was lots of planning, prepping, and stressing to do. I was at the school from 8am to 5pm everyday (minus the 12-2 lunch break which I already know I'm gonna miss when I go back to the states). 2. I caught the gripe Thursday and wanted to die Friday with the fever I had and Saturday yet again. 3. I've just been super pensive lately and not really wanting to share. 

Nothing bad. But the news of my best little friend, Mayelin, moving tomorrow got me thinking more. 

This is us:

She was the first girl I met the day I arrived here. She helped me unpack. She drew tons of pictures to hide the bare, ugly, dry cement walls. She played cards with me. She laughed with me when the words just wouldn't come (which was very very frequent in the beginning). She was there behaving when I lost control trying to teach the third graders on the spot. She introduced me to her mother who has always been incredible to me and made me feel at home. She did my hair hundreds of times. And let me do hers. She rarely gets to eat so I'd always sneak the rest of my food to her. We played pelota. I told her how beautiful she is everyday. She tried her darnest to sing to my English songs with me. We danced. She took me to colmados. Corrected me sometimes when I made grammar mistakes...

She came today around 6pm and sat on my bed, quiet. We chatted a little and then she said outright, "I'm moving tomorrow." It took me a second to process what she said because I think I was hoping I had heard her wrong or my Spanish sucked in that moment. But I was right. Her mother and father are having issues and she, her mother, and brother (who is in first grade and the biggest trouble maker but also gives the best hugs-love him) are leaving tomorrow. It was just decided today. She looked up at me and as her eyes welled up said, "I don't want to go" and proceeded to sob in my arms... 

And as I rocked her a bit and played with her hair holding back my own tears, I can't even begin to describe the feeling I had. I was so overwhelmed with a heaviness in my heart; but it wasn't all a bad heaviness. Yes, I'm gonna miss the shit out of that girl. Yes, it hurt and still hurts. But wow. How blessed I am to have known her. To have had her touch my life-even the days she drove me crazy and I just wanted to be alone. She saved me countless times when I thought I would lose it and when I felt so alone. And it's been only 3 months since I arrived here in my home. And I'm already so incredibly overwhelmed with love for this little girl. I cannot even imagine what it will be like saying goodbye to this community after my two full years. And despite this insane roller coaster, the emotions I've experienced that I didn't even know I had, and the times where I just wanted to scream, I've never once felt like I needed to leave. Or that I didn't belong here. And seeing another friend (American friend) leave here for another adventure in Africa, the thought, "I could see myself doing things like this for much much more than two years" swept through my mind and took me by complete surprise. That feeling may change after my full service is up but wow... I felt it. And I still feel it. I'm supposed to be here. Doing this. Meeting and falling in love with girls like Mayelin. And hopefully changing as many lives as are changing mine.

I wouldn't change any of this. And I don't ever want to stop.

Buenas noches.