How do we say goodbye?

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I am now sitting on a rooftop in Bundi, one of the most charming cities I visited in India. It is not a very big city, so it is surprisingly quiet, with lots of really beautiful old haveli, a fort, a palace, and the romantic touch that only Rajasthan has. And people are amongst the friendliest I have seen in India. They smile, say hello and don't seem to want to give you the "best price" or even sell you anything. It is very refreshing after a few days in Udaipur.
Udaipur is also very beautiful, but it took me some time to adjust after 3 months in a rural setting where there was no other foreigners. Rickshaws, food, hotels, everything seemed very expensive, but on the other hand it was also nice to be able to talk to people and be understood.
I met a few tourists, went to a dance show, visited the palace, and just relaxed on the rooftop of my hotel, overlooking Pichola Lake. I drank lots of chai and ordered Indian food, as if I weren't able or interested in eating anything else!
Interestingly, the contrast is so big between my experience as a volunteer and my life as a tourist that it is like those 3 months in Meu happened a lifetime ago. A different world. I feel very restless, I want to do a lot of things, and can't find my rhythm as a tourist. It seems to be time to go home...
Yet, whenever I will leave India, I will take with me a lot of incredible memories. I am sure that for a very long time, I will still see the smiles, and hear the voices of the Child Haven children and staff. I will think about these young people and wonder where they are, how their life is. Certainly a better life than they would have had without the help of Bonnie and Fred Cappuccino, and their supporters.
When the time came to leave the home a week ago now, even if I was ready to go, it was hard to leave. I wasn't sure how to thank them and say good bye.
Then I remembered that one day I was playing "soccer" with a girl and we kept saying "sorry" when we kicked the ball too far. Even though she spoke almost no English, after a while she looked at me in the eyes and said: "We are friends, we don't say "thank you" or "sorry"".
So now I think about her, and I wonder if, because we are friends, we
don't say "goodbye"...

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