Last Post from Dan

As you can see from the number of posts I've made this evening, I am very bored without my wife, who will be back in an hour, at which time we are planning to go listen to Brazilian jazz with Stu, Don, Audrey, Amy, and perhaps a few others. (Note added the following morning: Three of us adventured out into this Bohemian area known as Rio Vermelho to a club called Sao Jorge and, unfortunately, because we had not made reservations, we heard little Brazilian jazz last night. We did enjoy a cerveja under the stars..almost as much fun.)

The last few days our thoughts have been drifting to how much we are looking forward to being with our kids, seeing the rest of our families, enjoying our friends, and returning to our lives in Pawleys Island. We miss you more than we could have imagined. Much more.

Our experiences have been amazing, and we have absorbed in these last few months a lifetime of stories. I'm not sure yet how I've changed, but I know I have, and I hope I don't bore all of you trying to figure out who I really am after all of this, what my place is in the world, and what I need to do to lead a moral life.

A few days ago I held a little girl in an orphanage in Salvador, Brazil. She cried when I tried to put her down. Finally, it was time to leave and I reluctantly returned her to one of the caretakers, and I walked away looking back through a haze of tears, her sobs penetrating to my soul. I wonder what her future is, and the future of all of the kids on this fragile planet that we are so awfully mistreating.

At the orphanage I also saw the Semester at Sea students playing with and hugging the infants and toddlers, brightening their day. I've witnessed this on several occasions, remarkable if ephemeral bonds forged between these privileged students and very less fortunate kids.

One young boy at the orphanage mistook a Chinese student for Jackie Chan, and spent the entire 2 hours trying to get this poor student, who knew no martial arts, to do some kung fu for him.

Sadness, wonder, joy, humor, celebration, hopelessness, and renewed hope on our long journey, and unmitigated excitement at returning to our little slice of this huge, complex, confusing world. Thanks for sharing and enriching the experience. ~dan