Last leg

I'm sitting in the San Jose, CA airport, sun is streaming through the windows. It's hot. I need my sunglasses. I'm freshly showered as I had a few hours at Amy's house between the flight from Kigali and my flight to Seattle. Yet, I'm wearing my dirty clothes from Congo. I love it...my skirt smells like Congo mixed with the smell of the bug spray made from geraniums that Frannie swears by and gave us all a bottle of on the flight to Burundi. (Frannie is a minister from California who was on the trip...a person with a huge heart and eyes wide open to all. She is wonderful.)

I was reluctant to shower at Amy's...savoring the last bit of Congo still on me. My hair felt like I was wearing a wig - all stiff from the dusty drive from Virunga to Goma in the open-sided jeeps. I also had a lot of dirt in and around my toenails leftover from the mud fest on our gorilla trekking day.

I really am not ready to let Congo go. As I sit here, I am thinking about the ways that I can keep Congo present and alive in my every day life. My backpack is full of books that Amy gave me today about Congo and global human rights work...so that is one way to keep it in the forefront. Admittedly, it would help to know that I will go back...relatively soon. Just not sure about that yet. I could see going back with this group. I would need to tack on some other parts to it, though. I need more cultural immersion and time with people. Seeing it all from the window of a car or in NGO meetings isn't going to do it for me a second time around. I am a bit tempted to actually consider trying to go back in August with Matt and Lucas to go to Cyprien's wedding. Crazy? Probably. Fun to dream about? Definitely.

Right now, the folks at Virunga are finishing up a feature length film about the park and the threats to the park...especially the potential oil drilling near Lake Edward by a British oil company. If it happens, it stands to seriously impact water quality and access and fish access to thousands of Congolese. The impact on the livelihood of the people in the area would be devastating. We saw a 20 minute clip of the film while we were in Virunga. It was beautiful. It was accepted into the documentary section of the Tribeca Film Festival. It will screen there in NYC on April 17th. I'm hoping to make it work to take Lucas and hopefully Matt to New York for the film festival. There will be at least a couple of folks from the trip there as well. Fingers crossed.

I keep checking the clock. 50 minutes til my flight leaves. I'm ready now.

Lots of love,  ME