Burkina Faso...here we come!

We're off to Burkina in December for 17 days! Hubby, Marlow's sister and I.

To say we're all excited is down-playing our emotions. Marlow is coordinating all kinds of activities for us but mostly I just so want to meet the people she has been living with. Specifically, I want to meet her host family in Sapone.

I am looking forward to the marche, the food, the people, the sights, the sounds, speaking my stumbling French. Being together as a family for Christmas under African skies. Getting to know first-hand what Marlow's daily life is all about. So much I want to take in.

We're very fortunate to be able to make this trip and it seems like the perfect timing at this stage of Marlow's service.

Getting the vaccines is the least favorite part but a small price to pay.

Burkina Faso...here we come!

Back for the First Stateside Visit - Manicure and Kofi Annan

Marlow is now 17 months in to her service. She always said that she didn't want to come back to the U.S until her service was over. Then something happened.

Marlow was flown to the US from Burkina by the United Nations USA Association to accept the 2012 Leo Nevas Youth Advocate for Human Rights Award in New York on October 16th. http://www.unausa.org/about-us/global-leadership-awards/368-marlow-svatek

Marlow arranged to be flown in two weeks prior to the UN awards ceremony so we could fly her down to Tampa and spend some time with her. Those two weeks were a fun mix of girly stuff with Marlow: hair salon and nails (de rigeur after being so long in the Sahel), shopping for NYC clothes, lots of dining out and any other excuse for other food consumption. (What is it with you Burkina PCVs and cheese??)  It was so nice to see Marlow hang out with her younger sister and U.S friends and have a really good time.

At the UN Global Leadership Dinner we were treated as special guests. Let's just stay that being in a private VIP room with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and also saying hi to Ted Turner is quite surreal and memorable. The awards ceremony to honor her at the luncheon the next day when she officially received her award was a very proud moment for us. I brought tissues.

We all had a fantastic time in NYC.

Of course, the hugs goodbye on the same day that we flew back to Tampa and she headed back to Burkina was a little hard. I forgot to bring tissues but, interestingly, I didn't really need them.

Marlow was returning "home" and I was so happy for her.