Veloma Madagascar!

This is it! I'm leaving Madagascar. I made the decision to Early COS (Peace Corps term: Close of Service) after several weeks of political turmoil in the country.

Here's an article explaining current events:
MADAGASCAR: What went wrong?
Here's another article from the BBC.

It has been a bit hectic here. After a violent protest in the capital last month, Peace Corps had all of the volunteers pack our bags in case of an emergency evacuation. When the looting and violence didn't stop, all of the volunteers were consolidated together to be nearer to communication, airports, and each other. It has been peaceful over the last few days and the initial momentum of the anti-government rallies seems to have waned for now. However, Peace Corps is continuing to keep volunteers consolidated and has yet to make a decision on how to proceed.

For me, I decided it was best to go because I felt that it would be difficult to return to my village under the circumstances. When I left I packed all my belongings as if I wasn't returning. I said my tentative good byes, and left in a hurry not knowing if or when I would be back. With only a couple of months left in my service, I was given the option to Early COS due to the current political instability and civil unrest. This feels like the best option for me, rather than wait out the crisis and/or eventually return to site to say my good byes all over again.

The fact of my leaving hasn't quite hit me yet. I'm still in the capital waiting to finish up my paperwork, and I haven't even been told what day my flight is, or even where my flight is going. It doesn't quite seem real. Maybe when I'm on the plane and crossing the ocean, I'll realise what I'm leaving behind. It is a bittersweet ending. I am happy to be going home, but this is not the way I would have liked things to turn out. I am concerned about the future of Madagascar. Food security is already a problem without the added expense of looting and rioting. And as long as the situation remains unstable investors and tourists are likely to look elsewhere.

My immediate plans for my return include visiting family in Texas before heading to San Francisco to visit friends. Then I'm hoping to head down to Big Sur for a month long permaculture course in April, and in May I'll be going on a cross country road trip starting in Colorado! Coming soon to a city near you! Get in touch so we can meet up soon!