One Month Left

With only a month left this placement has suddenly gone from unbearably long to ridiculously short. My return to Hain has been really great for my spirits, and I’ve been able to eat and drink much more enjoyably this time around. I’m realizing that there are a lot of people and little things that I will really miss about this place when I leave. This will undoubtedly make for a bittersweet last month; I’m very excited to return home and see everyone but the fact that I will never again be here or see these people again is slowly starting to sink in.

In other news I’m leaving for another village, Zingpen, to go farm for a week. The plan is to spend the week living “exactly” like (as close as possible) a farmer in the village. I’ve told them I don’t want any special treatment with foods, beds, or workload; I’m sure my requests will largely be ignored but I’m going to try and emulate their lifestyle as much as possible. I approached my NGO with the idea a few weeks ago, but now that the time has drawn near I’m both excited and terrified to go. There are so many doubts I have about my health, strength, the food and water, whether I will behave appropriately… On the flipside, though, it goes without saying that I will learn a hell of a lot and likely develop a true appreciation for the lives of rural farmers. I’ll try to journal on paper while in the village, but I don’t know how privacy or time will work, so I may never get the chance to write out my thoughts. We’ll see I guess….