I'm not leaving.

So, we've attended our last morning report, said our teary goodbyes, had a swim at the Serena Hotel, packed our stuff and drowned one last cockroach. Emmy will be here to pick us up in about half an hour. I've been spending the last few minutes frantically figuring out how to lock myself in the safe from the inside. It is a bit cramped in here, and my internet connection is fading but otherwise I won't complain.

This really has been an amazing month. I've met so many wonderful people and seen such beautiful things. There have been some difficult times as well, but far outnumbered by the good. I was telling Patty that I feel a bit selfish for all that I am taking away (not just the banana beer) but I hope my teaching was effective and the residents seemed truly appreciative.

Except for a few large blowouts, Patty and I got along well and are planning a trip to Namibia. It's not so much that she enjoys my travel companionship rather she is using my special ability to secure emergency exit seats on all our overseas flights (awesome!!)

Thanks for reading and emailing and I'll see you soon. Can someone please shovel my driveway before I get home?

saying goodbye

In a few hours we will get on the plane for a very long journey home. We are both very sad to leave Rwanda and would happily stay for another month.

I began the day with a final run up Nyamirambo hill. There was a slightly overweight woman running on her own and we teamed up for a bit. It is heartwarming to see all the runners and especially women, as we never saw any female runners last March. She told me that she runs every morning as she has back pain and it helps. Maybe she can talk to some of my patients!

Nyamirambo hill starts off as a steady incline before reaching Everest like gradients. At the top, you turn onto a cobblestone road and have a view of Kigali and the surrounding hills. There are many birds, as the cobblestone road goes through a quiet neighbourhood with trees and flowers. It is a brisk descent to the market, which is already a hive of activity at 6:00 AM. There are men with huge bags of coal, made from eucalyptus trees. There are always tons of fresh fruits and vegetables.

We attended morning report, started the OR list, and then made the rounds to say goodbye. It is very sad and quite emotional to receive the gratitude of all the people we have been working with and teaching this month. One nurse asked me if I would be back in two months and looked devastated when I said it would be a year. We had a few teary moments in the garden outside the OR looking at the avocado tree and watching the birds.

Shannon has been a terrific companion and we've had a great month.