"do something good"

Yesterday should be my flight back home back to the Philippines.  But I am still in Tanzania.  I have extended until the end of June. I am wondering until now if the additional 3 months to be here would be a wise thing to do. 

I was ready to go.  I have packed all my stuff including some souvenir items for family and friends, have given away the rest of my personal things that my luggage can no longer accommodate, have rushed and prepared all the outstanding activities and reports to my organization and VSO, travelled outside of Dar es Salaam a week before my supposedly flight back home, have cleaned the apartment I am staying, and lastly; announced to everyone that I am going back home on 23 March. 

It was last minute that I made up my mind to prolong my stay.  I solicited advice from some people and weighed the situation emotionally and logically.  But what stirred me most was the text message from my sister.  “There’s nothing urgent that you will be doing here (home).  So, you can stay. Who knows, you can <still> do something worthwhile there.” And this helped me to decide.   Not 1 year as requested by my organization but I only settled for 3 months.  At least, I will not be leaving them with pang of guilt or regret.

Am I happy for this decision?  I don’t know exactly.  I believe that to be happy is a choice no matter what distractions or circumstances to be encountered along the way.  I will just enjoy what life brings me for these last 3 months in Tanzania.  And – “do something worthwhile” (?).

“People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.” ― Abraham Lincoln