Every amazing adventure must come to an end. Or so they say...

The subject line says it all. While this probably won't be my last blog entry, this will definitely be my last blog entry as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Burkina Faso. Words can't even express what the experience has been or how this has affected me. Reading this blog is probably one of the best ways to capture how I've felt. I know that the effects the Peace Corps has had on my life will be evident in the months and years to come when I'm back home in the U.S. I'll be somewhere and something will instantly remind me of Burkina Faso. Or I'll strike up a conversation with a random stranger or friend, and conjure up images of life abroad.

Luba and I. Luba is in the newest group of Peace Corps trainees here in Burkina Faso and is my replacement! We were fortunate to meet up because we were in Ouaga at the same time (funny how things work out in life). She was there to meet her community counterpart (who is coincidentally my friend, Nazaire) and I was there to complete my service in Ouaga.

Some of the Peace Corps Burkina Faso staff during our COS (Close of Service) ceremony.

The five of us that were COSing: myself, Colette, Julie, Marita and Rachel.

Colette and I. In it together and finishing strong together!

With Mariam, one of my favorite people in the Peace Corps Burkina Faso office! She's so hilarious.

With Brenda, one of my Peace Corps faves (and fellow Californian)!

With Emily at the Transit House. Loves!!

With Armande, another favorite. Such a great resource at the office!

With Paré, one of the drivers.

And with Shannon, our Country Director. Such a dynamic and experienced woman! What an inspiration -- she's worked all over the world, doing humanitarian and development work. I hope to do some of the work that she's done.

Getting my Peace Corps ID Card cut...it's official! I'm a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV)!

With Diallo, perhaps the nicest, most genuine man in Burkina Faso! He trained as us Peace Corps trainees in 2009 and now works at the Peace Corps Burkina Faso office full-time.

The outside of the Peace Corps Burkina Faso office in Ouagadougou.

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs)! Two years and three months, done.Au revoir, Burkina Faso! Bonjour, Paris!

I think the one thing that will always stay is the quote from LMU that I've made into my life's mantra of sorts (and coincidentally, the title of this blog): "Go forth and set the world on fire." It can be interpreted in many ways but I see it as this: use the skills that you've gained in all of your life's experiences (school and otherwise) to make the world a better place. Build relationships. Strengthen communities. Learn about new cultures. Share your insights with everyone. Because at the end of the day, that's what we're all here for as humans, right?

Thank you Peace Corps for providing me with the opportunity to serve. Thank you Burkina Faso for the hospitality you've given me these past years. And thank you God for leading me through this crazy, grand adventure called life.

So what's next?!

Homestretch (round II), tree planting & crocodiles.

Remember this a year ago? I was in the trainees' shoes, waiting for PST to end as quickly as possible so I could get the hell over to my site! It's funny how things never really change.

So yes. The homestretch. It's here and it's an atmosphere full of anxiety/sadness/happiness/etc. all combined into one big clump. Tech sessions are coming to a close, trainees' language levels in French and local language have improved dramatically and people are starting to realize that the next 2 years of their service are ahead of them.

For me, it's been both enjoyable and exhausting. Exhausting in that the preparation since May and the execution of it all these past few months (planning sessions, facilitating sessions, answering questions 24/7, being known as a constant resource, etc. etc. The list is really endless!) have been constant. Many times, I'd get frustrated but realize that I just have to go with the flow as this is a new experience for everyone (Trainees and PCVF/Ps). This training group, however, has been quite the exception. The first training group in Peace Corps Burkina Faso history where we've had all 4 sectors (Secondary Ed, Health, Small Enterprise Development and Girls' Education and Empowerment) all come at once. We've also moved to 3 different training sites in a matter of 9 weeks (Ouahigouya, Ouaga and Koudougou) but regardless, everyone's spirits have been up (for the most part) and they're all another addition to the PC/BF family.

At the end of the day though, I realize how much I truly enjoy doing this. Working PST has made me more appreciative of my life here in BF, the obstacles I've had to overcome and the successes that have kept me going. It's hard not to put yourself in their shoes and remember what you went through a year ago.

I also feel so proud of them! I've seen them since the beginning and have noticed some crazy growth these past 9 weeks. Seeing them conduct their club meetings, coordinate their youth camps, teach Life Skills...it's utterly amazing! And to think of the great work they'll do once they get situated at their sites.

Jessi, Emily and I. Love these women!

GEE Tech Team, Week 7. This was one of my favorite weeks because the trainees got to put their knowledge into practice -- final Girls' Club meetings, Youth Camps, teaching Life Skills and conducting their needs assessment meetings with the parent associations. Huzzah! By the way, our two GEE Tech Trainers/Coordinators are Awa and Diallo. They're so amazing!!

In the midst of all of this, International Youth Day in Burkina Faso was celebrated with a huge Tree Planting Extravaganza in Dori. Because there were so many people, the tree planting itself took less than 20 minutes! But it was a great event to meet other Burkinabè youth and other volunteers (Japanese, French, etc.) here in Burkina Faso. It was also great to develop an even better rapport with the Burkinabè government and it seems as if the Minister of Youth and Employment absolutely loves the Peace Corps. It's great!

Free shirts and hats...and ready to work!

Some of us Peace Corps Volunteers who could attend the Tree Planting. The woman in the middle of this picture is Dr. Claude, the Associate Peace Corps Director (APCD) for Health.

With a new friend, Frederic, planting some trees.

Working that daba! Note the Peace Corps logo on the back of the tee shirt.

This may looks disgusting but it made for a good photo. =)

In other news, the last weekend before Swear-In, our whole GEE team took a trip about 25 km to Sabou. There's a lake filled with sacred crocodiles but I felt as though they were accustomed to the massive amounts of tourists. It started off with one of the guys that worked there luring the crocodiles with a dead chicken at the end of a long piece of rope. Eventually, it would really the crocodiles in and...well...we all got to take pictures next to it!

Sacred crocodiles in Sabou. I'm touching its tail! Holy @%#$!

The whole experience itself was a little anticlimactic BUT I enjoyed it nonetheless and it's just another thing I can check off my list.

PST is in full swing again!

It's been a year since I've been in Ouahigouya but damn, does it feel good to be back. There's something to be said about spending your first three months in a foreign country and calling it "home" -- and coming back after a year elsewhere, it feels like...well, it feels like home. Like going back to the US. I guess it's that sense of nostalgia that's tied to Ouahigouya that's made me feel so comfortable.

Anyway, PST (Pre-Service Training) for the new group of Trainees is finally here and I got here a week before their arrival (around the middle of June) to help prepare with our Technical Trainers, Diallo and Awa. They are absolutely amazing and it's bizarre being on the other side of the training realm. Hectic, exhausting but enjoyable all at the same time!

Before really getting in the full swing of things, Gwen, Marita, Ilana and I headed to my host family's village (Komsilga) to visit the host family!! I was so excited and anxious at the same time -- it's been a year since being there. Fortunately, Ilana was with us and her Moore is really good. Long story short, what I thought would be a quick "hello-bonjour" visit for no more than 30 minutes turned into a three-hour ordeal of greeting everyone. I almost forgot how long greetings were in the north of BF! Greeting the chef (village chief) and the rest of the village community was exhausting but something that I really, really miss, especially since the people in the south where I live are less keen to greet. When I went to visit my host family, it was just as I had left it, except my host grandfather was there. Man, talk about feeling like I was at home for a bit.

My host dad, Mamadou and I, next to the new mosque built at Komsilga, my old host village. My my, how things have changed! But my host dad is still the same -- laughing all the time!

Me with my host family's compound in the distance. Second home!

Fast-forward to June 23, I was lucky enough to go meet the new Trainees (Peace Corps Trainees = PCTs) at the airport in Ouaga. It was overwhelming seeing 57 Americans walk out of the airport and start their two years of Peace Corps service. Fielding all of their questions was quite the experience -- I forgot how many questions I asked as a PCT! We headed up to Ouahigouya, had a great welcome ceremony and started the nine-weeks of training. I don't even know where to begin in describing the hecticness of PST but what I do know is that I love it. In total, there are 79 PCTs here in Burkina Faso and it's the first time that all four sectors (Secondary Education, Girls' Education and Empowerment, Small Enterprise Development and Community Health) are coming together at the same time. Love being busy, meeting new people and getting PCTs acclimated to their new life. Sure, there were a few unfortunate glitches in our training but for the most part, things have been going well! The idea of the Peace Corps family is what keeps me (and everyone else) going.

Welcoming the new Trainees at the airport.

Marita, Jessi and I in our wonderfully awesome and decorative GEE cubicle!

Come July 4, the Peace Corps helped organized our celebration in Ouaga. Cake, cold sodas and beers, burgers, potato salad and chilling by the pool = the perfect July 4th celebration! I also came to the realization that this is my second time celebrating July 4th out of the US. Crazy!

Audrey and I chilling at the pool during the July 4th celebration. Second one for me outside the US!

I'm heading back to site after being gone for almost a month. I'll be having a few GEE PCTs come to my site next weekend for demystification. Demystification (or demyst, for short) is where PCTs visit a current PCVs' site and see how their life is like for a couple days. I'm a little nervous for that seeing as how I haven't been to site for a while due to PST, plus no one will be there since the school year's over and everyone either heads back to the big cities or visits their family in Cote d'Ivoire and elsewhere. Wish me luck!

Note: All pictures are taken courtesy of Gwen, the picture queen. Seriously, she takes pictures all the time and I love it.