Steph's Departure

     So much has happened in the last three weeks that it's hard to wrap my brain around it! So let us back track several days... As mentioned before, Steph is my Baltimore partner in crime and good friend here in Rwanda. She is the one who on my first day at the hospital gave me a massive tour and answered thousands of questions. The wisdom that comes from her 26 year old mouth continues to astound me and it was always good to hang out together. We often would get Chinese food because no matter what, we were always suckers for Chinese. It got to the point where we could order for each other if one of us was running late. It was pretty bad. But we clicked as soon as we met, maybe it's the hometown connection, and I have always enjoyed our walks down to the rice paddies, advice given and received, and shared friendship over these last six months.

Steph working hard in the office

Giving a pediatric lecture in ICU

A "night out" in Butare

     Sadly, Steph was unable to extend her contract until the end of July, so her 15 month contract came to an end January 31st. I was in Congo and on February 1st she went to South Africa for ten days. I am glad she finally booked her trip and went; she had wanted to go to South Africa since she arrived in Rwanda but for a hot second considered not going because she was going to have to go alone. I made sure she knew how much I actually enjoy traveling alone and she readily agreed upon her return. She fortunately came back to finish packing and attend the certificate ceremony for both the Pediatric and Neonatology staff who had completed her courses.

Steph at the certificate ceremony
with her gift from the staff.

Even though I'd known for a long time she was leaving, it still felt very surreal. Last Thursday we had a farewell (Chinese) dinner at Melody and Stewart's house with all of our Rwandan twins. I happened to have a box of Berger cookies (if you're not from Baltimore, you won't understand just how amazing these cookies are) and I gave a little farewell speech and we all made Steph cry (I also gave her pocket packs of tissues), but it was a great dinner.

Melody & Steph

Speeches

It's at this moment we realized why people
sometimes confused us for one another.

     I left Butare the next day last Friday afternoon to head to Kigali to meet my friend Amy at the airport and realized that I would never see Steph in Butare again. Vanessa, Julie, and Steph came up to Kigali Saturday morning. Unfortunately, Amy's flight from LAX was delayed so she missed her connection in Istanbul and wouldn't be arriving until Sunday at 2 am. But Steph and I ran a few errands and grabbed lunch at Mille de Collines (Hotel Rwanda) and then sprawled in the hammocks poolside until we decided we should head back to the hotel we had booked and get ready for dinner. We had fun swapping earrings and doing our hair (which I rarely spend time doing) before meeting the rest of the group.

     We were doing a delayed birthday dinner for me with our Kigali friends and Vanessa since she was enjoying a beach in Thailand during my actual birthday. We got Indian food at my favorite restaurant in Kigali where all the lights went out and a birthday song came on over the loud speakers, and the entire restaurant (which was packed being Valentines day) was staring at a very bright red me while the staff sang happy birthday and danced and the song went on and on and on... but it was good fun and then several of us went out dancing.

Steph & Jessie at dinner

I wanted to crawl under the table at this point.

     In true Steph form (she has very sensitive/allergic skin) something bit her lip during dinner and so we called the dancing quits a little early because I was getting worried and she needed her Benadryl so I dropped people off at their respective places and off I went to the airport to collect Amy. Sunday morning Steph joined Amy and I for breakfast and then we all went off to collect Julie and say goodbye as Amy, Julie and I were headed to Akagera National Park. It was a tough goodbye. I feel as though I've lost my sidekick here in Rwanda. If Amy hadn't come to visit when she did I think I would have been in tears the entire weekend. Steph texted me before her flight last Monday and after she left for the airport I realized that I would need to delete her Rwandan number from my phone. But from here on out I can use her 443 area code number, which is oddly comforting. It's a good thing she has an iPhone because I really missed her Friday when I had a very sick baby in the ICU. I foresee a lot of Facetime in my future and a tubing date on the Gunpowder River when I return home in August. It's still strange to not have her at CHUB. I keep thinking that she will pop into the office at anytime with some idea or story to share. I am so excited for the new chapter in her life that she is embarking on now. She will become an aunt in a few months and I know her family has missed her terribly. I know I will survive without her here but I still miss her.

Styling some Kigali fashions

Lessons Learned:
1) Sometimes in life you meet people that you feel as though you've known your entire life who make you a better person without even trying. My mother calls these people "kindred spirits." Steph Taylor is definitely a kindred spirit.
2) Despite distance and time zones, you will always make time for those friendships that are really important to you.