I am leaving Egypt tomorrow, I have many mixed feelings...
I will miss the busy streets of Cairo that never seem to never sleep, I'll especially miss the elvated bridge of October 6th, it has given me the view of Cairo that I hope all who visit learn to appreciate. I will not miss the walls that seem to crush the impoverished.
I will miss staying up until 3am with doctors Ahmed and Yasser working, those were enjoyable nights and mornings.
I will miss how quiet my life has become it has given me more time that I've ever had in my life to think, ponder, read, and make decisions. I will not miss how much I struggled through Arabic, I hope to learn it someday and truly communicate my feelings and thoughts more clearly to my Egyptian friends.
I will miss the food here. I have grown a new love for fruit and vegetables, as well as slow-roasted meat. I will not miss the sleepless nights with stomache cramps.
I will miss the way everyone treats visitors and guests. I have never been so unfamiliar with my surroundings and at the same time felt so at home.
I will miss the way people laugh at me when I try to say hi to them in Arabic, it made me laugh as well. I will not miss the moment when a taxi driver stole 200 Egyptian pounds from me, but I'm sure I will laugh about it later.
I will miss the resiliency, work-ethic, and love of the Egyptian people. I hope they will not forget me. I hope they know how much I want to serve them and make their lives better.
I will miss the endless sands here. I will not miss drinking bottled water.
I will miss cold showers in the morning, they were surprisingly refreshing especially after sleeping for only a few hours.
I will not miss all of the red tape here, to which I hope that we can overcome and become Deseret Egypt.
I will miss my driver Esmile, especially the way he would show off to me by singing the ABCs or every once in a while turning to me and saying "Love you Caleb, love Esmile". I hope that he is able to continue to grow and progress, especially after being relieved of his duties after our car was stolen...
I will miss the excitement of a new day in Egypt. I will miss the sugar cane drink, mango jouice, and the Bolti fish. I will miss my work here and I hope that I have made some kind of a difference.
I will not miss the smoking, everybody seems to be hooked on cigars. They always seemed happy when I declined their invitation to smoke. Often they would tell me that they wanted to quit and that tomorrow they would try to.
I came to this country to work and to learn and I am now leaving this country more devoted and a bigger heart and hopefully a better person.
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5 comments:
What an unforgettable experience! I don't know if I would be able to do it, especially alone. I am so proud of you and I can't wait to hear more about it!
Talai
Can't wait to see you home again. What an experience eh? You really must have some good stories to tell. And I loved reading that too. Very creative and heartfelt. Love you!
Caleb! This was really wonderful to read about all your experiences. You have so much insight and I love hearing about your life and your thoughts while you were in Egypt. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Caleb, you are so great. I think you are one of the best people I have ever known. Way to live life to the fullest. I'm glad you enjoyed your time in Egypt and I hope you get to go back someday. Have a safe trip and call me when you are back in the states!
Talai: I'm sure you could do it, even alone. Hey, I'll be out there in 4 days, what do you think about that?
Annie: Thanks for following my blog, it was a fun little account to keep--I plan on keeping it up while I work in Washington DC.
Tanille: Thanks, Tanille, that was very kind of you to say. I will miss Egypt, but I'm glad that I'm back in the States--I need to get busy again.
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