So my friend Kelly found this article in the Huffington post about Senator Dodd's bill to reform the Peace Corps. It is a great article, but what really struck me the most was the last paragraph of the article

"Today the public galleries were largely empty. The media gallery was quiet. There were few other Senators on the floor. But this was a great moment in American politics. As Dodd spoke, it was not a sixty-five-year old Senator rich in gravitas standing there. It was a twenty-three-year old young man in shorts, a t-short and flip-flops sitting around with a bunch of kids, laughing and joking in Spanish, probably as happy as he had ever been, and if he is like many volunteers, as happy as he ever would be. "

Kelly and I had both discussed how sad that it would be if we could not bring our happiness back home to the states. I am not going to lie, some of my happiest moments here have been with my great Malian friends, sitting around, joking, being PEOPLE... I hope to continue these experiences back in the states. Sure, we may not necessarily be making some Arywane... but, the happiness can't stop.

Leaving my friends to come here to Mali was hard. But, I always have this feeling in my mind, that I will see them again. Maybe not right when I get home, but, there is a great possibility. Leaving Mali may end up being one of the hardest parts of my entire service. Yes, I know, it has only been a year. But I cringe at the idea of leaving some of the most wonderful people in my life. The people that have helped me through everything. The people that adopted me into their families, adopted me as a friend. I just got a text message from a friend that I hang out with at market. He heard through the grapevine that I was sick and was hoping that I was ok. I see this guy once a week, and he cares enough for me to check up on me.

The stories don't stop there, but we are going to wander the streets of Bamako a bit.

Quick heads up: I'm in Bamako for awhile to help with training the new trainees. It will be exciting and has already had it's great moments. Many humorous moments given by Kelly... and a lot of them dealing with Alkalifa. Thanks for those.