IT'S TIME FOR AFRICA!!!! Cape Town 2012: DAY THIRTY TWO:

Finally got to go back to Sir Lowry's today!!! It's weird how familiar and comfortable it felt walking through the community again. Walking up the streets to Ms. Cheryl's, I was surprised that I knew exactly where I was going, which is such a new feeling for me!! As soon as we got to the door, Ms. Cheryl and Candy and Duncan greeted us like we were family finally returning home. Their love and openness is unreal! We got to spend a little bit of time with just our families before we all had to make our way back to the school to for the final celebration. There was a DJ stand set up and music was blaring and all the kids were dancing around, having the time of their lives. And they are good dancers too!! Once the celebration began, Global LEAD and the community alternated performing something for everyone that was there celebrating with us... songs, dances, etc. It was so fun seeing all the talent and the kids loved watching... and making fun of us! The celebration concluded with Ms. Cheryl thanking us for coming and helping her community. She is really such an amazing person! Eyes got a little watery here but this was just the beginning of a long goodbye. Kids you have never met before come up to you, hang on your legs, begging you not to leave, asking when you'll come back again. How do you tell a six year old that you're really not coming back...? Saying goodbye to Ms. Cheryl and Candy and Duncan and Kelly and Baby Courtney was hard. Somehow this family, so polar opposite to my own, became a family to me in such a short time. The last thing that Candy said to me was make sure you come back to see Courtney grown up. Literally my heart was breaking. And then I had to say goodbye to Sandrae... oh boy. Kinda tearing up just writing about it. She was attached to me, wouldn't let me put her down or her mom hold her. Finally I had to leave so I started telling her goodbye and she just starts sobbing.... as her mom seriously has to pry her arms from around my neck. So naturally, I start crying too and it turns into one big scene. It was awful! Once we were on the buses driving away, the moms and children were all lined up on both sides of the street waving goodbye to us; they were all crying too. Just thinking that I will probably never come back here, never see these people that made such a difference in my life is heartbreaking. It was a pretty silent bus ride back to the hotel. Once we got back, I had to change real fast to go to dinner at this place called Rick's. It's Joanna's favorite restaurant and evidently themed around the restaurant from Casablanca... I wouldn't know I've never seen it haha. But, it's decorated really cool and has Moroccan food. I don't think I've ever had Moroccan food but it was really good! I had this chicken that literally fell off the bone and couscous and vegetables in this spicy Moroccan sauce. After dinner I somehow got roped into going out...still not sure how that happened....But we went to Dubliner's and had a swell ole time so I'm glad I did! There were literally four of us that went out... on a Wednesday. FOUR out of 140.... when in Afreeekaaah!