COS 7: UK

London!

My last country before America was a perfect transition period to ease the reverse culture shock. Best of all, I got to stay with/see four friends from my semester in Sydney! Stevie met Rob and I at Kings Cross and we grabbed burgers (gf buns & onion rings!) before heading to her apt. We went into Soho that evening and met up with my family friends and Robs coworker and friend for dinner at an incredible Thai place that changes the menu each week based on what's locally available. They then took us to a speakeasy in China Town: the sort of place you have to know about before you can get in and where cocktails are elaborate and pretty.

Tuesday Rob and I did the more traditional sightseeing. We walked to the Tower of London, which of course included the bridge. We strolled through the south bank and had a look at The Globe theater as well as the Millennium bridge before before making our way into the  Tate Modern art museum. It was dark and cold and rainy outside, so we ended up spending most of our day going through the free exhibits in the massive and well curated museum. It was my favorite of all the museums in the trip, and we could've spent a lot more time there if we had the time. Instead, we met Stevie and Jazz for dinner at an Italian place (gf menu. Guys. Spoiled.) before heading off to see a new musical in the smaller theater in the Globe called Romantics Anonymous. The show was a typical sweet, slightly quirky but charming production, and the music was infectious. It was fun spending the train ride (and flower ice cream detour) home analyzing it with Stevie.

Wednesday we went to the national portrait gallery in the morning while we waited to spend the day in the theater. The one thing I was most excited for in London was seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Turns out, the thing I had the strongest emotional reaction to was getting Chipotle. The show however, which is in two parts, was enjoyable. I won't say more here, as it's important to keep the secrets. If you're interested in getting tickets I can give you some pointers.

We spent our last full day in London walking around Buckingham Palace, parliament square(where big ben is currently covered in scaffolding and under renovations) and Camden Town. Camden town markets were delightful and full of delicious food and gf options. I loved going to different areas of the city and seeing how each neighborhood has its own character. Stevie and Berta joined us that night for a free comedy show that was 50% funny, 30% amusing, 20% really painful. But drinks after were fun, and we rounded up the night reminiscing with pictures of Alice and our time together 4 years ago. I'm lucky to have friends who I don't see for years but who still love me and make me laugh till I cry. Thank you guys for hosting us and making our time in London wonderful.

After quick goodbyes Friday morning, Rob and I were off on different trains to different airports. You see, I was on a quest to surprise my best friend Allison in Boston. Her boyfriend and I had been messaging secretly about it for literally months and I was going wild not being able to tell her we didn't have to wait until Christmas to see each other!

Unfortunately my flight was delayed 3 hours, so instead of getting in in time for dinner, I barely showed up before she went to bed! I had a quick turn around in Boston. Enough time to chat with friends and brunch with family before flying home to Cleveland.

Two months of traveling have taught me a lot. They've showed me the type of person I've become over these past few years. They've tested me and surprised me. They've shown me the beauty in the world : in the gorgeous landscapes and kind souls. I saw mountains, valleys, deserts, rain forests, villages, and cities. I traveled north from Cape Town to London. I was surrounded by old and new friends, and sometimes just by my own wits. I'm better at goodbyes than I used to be, knowing that if the universe wants us to see each other again, we will. Traveling became as comfortable as any other daily routine, and I stayed slow as I went from day to day, trying to appreciate the simple things. But now it's time to be home. Home to those to whom I owe who I am at my essence, and the courage it takes to meet each great adventure.

Thank you for your support, interest, and love. Until the next adventure.

COS 6: Spain

What a beautiful feeling to land in the Madrid airport knowing I was about to be seeing friends from America. I spent 5 days at my college friend Gabby’s beautiful studio apartment in Malasaña. The neighborhood is popular and busy with tons of shops and restaurants. We were close to many major parts of the city, and the metro was simple to navigate for everywhere else.

On the first night, we went shoe shopping, as my backpackers wardrobe was not sufficient for two weeks in Europe. We then met her friends at a bar with incredible tapas. Everywhere gabby took me was cheap and delicious: she would order for me (in gorgeous Spanish) and I would undoubtedly love whatever came out. Breakfast the next morning was no exception, as we ate on a sidewalk cafe and I was nearly giddy with the authentic European feeling of it all. We proceeded to go clothes shopping, which was a lot of me not knowing what was in style and being confused by all the fur and large sweaters. We did a bit of a city tour and ate ham (which is huge in Madrid) before coming back for a siesta: one of the best parts about Spain.
What a beautiful feeling to land in the Madrid airport knowing I was about to be seeing friends from America. I spent 5 days at my college friend Gabby’s beautiful studio apartment in Malasaña. The neighborhood is popular and busy with tons of shops and restaurants. We were close to many major parts of the city, and the metro was simple to navigate for everywhere else.

On the first night, we went shoe shopping, as my backpackers wardrobe was not sufficient for two weeks in Europe. We then met her friends at a bar with incredible tapas. Everywhere gabby took me was cheap and delicious: she would order for me (in gorgeous Spanish) and I would undoubtedly love whatever came out. Breakfast the next morning was no exception, as we ate on a sidewalk cafe and I was nearly giddy with the authentic European feeling of it all. We proceeded to go clothes shopping, which was a lot of me not knowing what was in style and being confused by all the fur and large sweaters. We did a bit of a city tour and ate ham (which is huge in Madrid) before coming back for a siesta: one of the best parts about Spain.

Since it was Saturday, and gabby has incredible internet (I forgot what I'd been missing) we got nachos and burritos to go, and got to watch the EPIC OSU PSU game! It was certainly a dramatic finish, which we hardly kept awake to watch, but so worth it. It's good to be a Buckeye.

Early Sunday morning, one of my good friends from graduate school, Rob, flew in from the states. We went to brunch at a great little place nearby, and the walked around to see some of the more touristy areas, like near city hall. Every day in Madrid was a combination of great food, cheap drinks, and beautiful walks.

The next day Rob and I went to the Reina Sophia museum, which was full of more modern art, including Picasso and Dali. Tuesday involved shopping, wandering, and Halloween with some of Gabby's friends! A very fun night out for our last hurrah in the city. I am so glad I got to see Gabby and spend so much time together after so many years apart: I'm looking forward to the next adventure where we meet!

Early Wednesday morning, Rob and I took the train to Barcelona. What an incredible, and busy, city. We spent days wandering through the streets of the gothic neighborhood and the areas around it, mesmerized by the tiny winding streets and gorgeous architecture. On Thursday we took a morning tour of the gothic district, which included local insight to the protests in Catalina, and an accidental stumbling upon said protests. Regardless of the political situation, it was actually quiet beautiful to witness the Catalan pride during the protest as the crowd sang their anthem.

 After tapas we went on an afternoon tour featuring the famous architect Antoni Gaudi. If you've never been to Barcelona, please take a minute to Google his work. It is incredible and indescribable by someone like me. Unreal. We made friends on our tour and met up with them for most of our future endeavors. Including a free visit to the Picasso museum that evening, followed by sangria.

Friday morning included a visit to a local market La Boqueria, which was mostly tourists but cheap and delicious. We then walked through another neighborhood and found ourselves in a park that included a beautiful pond and the Catalonian parliament building. We took a bus and then a cable car to Montjuic Castle which is on a hill that overlooks the whole city, and on the way we passed the Olympic village and stadium from 1992. After walking down the hill, we met up with our friends and watched the spectacular lights and music show at Font Majica.

Saturday started with another market trip before the exquisite Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s masterpiece. The church has been under construction for over 100 years, and is expected to be completed in 2026. It is the most beautiful and moving building I've ever had the privilege to witness. The light shines through the stain glass windows, cool colors where the sun rises, and warm colors where the sun sets,and creates gorgeous beams of color through the church. The architecture is all connected to nature and soaked in symbolism. Although Gaudi has been dead for 91 years, generations have taken it upon themselves to ensure his vision is honored. A true work of genius, and a breathtaking connection to a higher power. I'm not sure any religion has lived up to the glory of this masterpiece.

We transitioned to Parc Güell, another Gaudi project that was supposed to be a housing development, but is now mostly a park known for it's mosaics. We also toured Gaudi’s house which has been turned into a museum. The mosaics in the park are gorgeous and play with connections to nature.

That evening we met our friends for a flamenco show. It was lively and beautifully performed! Although flamenco originates in the south of Spain, I'm glad we had the opportunity to witness it. We went to dinner at El Nacional, an area of resturaunts recommended to us by a Barcelona girl I'd met in Madrid. It was the best meal I've had in months, if not years. I'm certainly eating well in Europe!

Sunday we took advantage of the free first Sunday of the month to go to the National Museum of Art of Catalonia. We also continued our incredible food tour of Spain with amazing tacos and gluten free crepes. We tried to see the Castellers, but the website gave us the wrong time so we missed it! So sad.

We redeemed our night at a salsa club! It was so fun to dance with Rob again, and there was even a little Zumba style session halfway through. I had missed dancing a lot, and I loved watching all the incredible dancers.

Spain was incredible. The food and culture were wonderful and we met such great people. It was fairly more expensive in Barcelona, but there was SO much to do. I hope I get to go back some day to see the rest of the country!

COS 5: Uganda

My tenth African Country (and the final one for this trip) was Uganda. I said goodbye to my friends in Kigali and went to Lake Bunyonyi : a beautiful lake in the hills near Kabale. I only had a small hiccup as I has forgotten to print my visa receipt. Apparently my almost-tears of frustration were unnecessary as there is a business nearby who prints for the nearly 20 tourists a day who also forget.

I booked my Uganda adventures through Amagara Tours, as I wanted to see the gorillas and I didn't want to be stressed by arranging the permits myself. The accommodation I stayed at was incredibly nice as I was in a private abode on the side of the island with a queen sized bed overlooking the lake and hills. I even had a hot shower with a lake view. The deep blues and greens were gorgeous.

The place was much quieter than Mijo in Kigali, and I found myself missing the chaos! But I enjoyed reading, talking naps, and soaking in the views. I had a late start on my second day, and it was raining off and on, so I had a very chill day, alternating between the common porch and my private bungalow. It's so quiet on the island. You hear the birds chirping and the lake splashing, occasionally a motor boat, and not much else.

Wednesday was Gorilla day! I had to take a boat at 5:45am to start my journey to the rainforest. After a an hour or so driving up into the mountains, I was briefed and put with a group of 3 others to go find the gorillas! We hiked from 8:30 until about 10:15 where we finally met up with the trackers who had left an hour before us to find our troupe. We then spent an hour viewing  (basically  following around) the gorilla troupe which has 10 gorillas in it- including a very adorable baby gorilla. I took a lot of photos and videos, but I also tried to simply observe and appreciate their presence and behaviors. It was incredible to watch. At one point a 5 year old walked right next to me and I was told to freeze and let her pass. There were moments it felt like the gorillas were posing for us, or where it was obvious to feel their intentions. A mother pulling down branches so her baby was hidden from our view, or two siblings staying close to each other to see what the other was doing. I am so glad I got to experience it all.

We took about an hour and a half to hike back up, including lunch. It was mainly straight up. And it was difficult! I wore my knee brace and it helped, but we stopped a lot. After getting back we received certificates and said it goodbyes. I was so excited to be heading towards my accommodation by 1:30. Africa had other plans. The vehicle I was in broke down a couple kilometers away from the office, and we ended up having to walk back uphill because obviously the drivers ran out of airtime. At which point a torrential downpour started. Eventually, another car was sent (from 90 minutes away) to come retrieve us.

Luckily, when I finally did get back, one of my friends I met in Kigali was there! It was fun to catch up and hang out before my two days of traveling the next day. I took an 8 hour bus to Kampala, followed by a 2 hour minibus to Entebbe, slept for 3 hours in a hostel, and left for the airport at 1:45am. My first flight was to Cairo, and while we took off again I saw the pyramids from the air! So freaking cool. My second flight was to Madrid! Farewell Africa, hello Europe!

COS 4: Rwanda

I'm going to first give great detail of my border crossing from Tanzania to Rwanda. There isn't much information as to how to do it by bus, and I want to help out future travelers. Skip down if you wish.

I started in Mwanza, TZ and stayed over night at Millennium Square Hotel. I bought my ticket to Benaco the night before at the bus rank nearby (Nyagezi) for 20,000 TSH (about 10USD). A guard walked me the 5 minutes to the bus rank at 5:15am. Reporting time was 5:30am. I put my bag under the bus and was assigned a seat. The bus was a 5 column,12 row charter bus slated to leave at 6am.

We pulled out at 6am with about 10 people on the bus. At about 6:15 we were told to get off the bus to buy tickets for the ferry (I assume. It was in swahili. I do a lot of watching other people to know what I'm supposed to do.) The ticket was 1000TSH (about 50 cents). We then proceeded to the ferry and rode it across Lake Victoria for about thirty minutes. At some point the conductor called for everyone to get on the bus and I noticed that about 10 more people had joined us.

Oh Botswana. How you have spoiled me with your paved roads. Most of the 9 hour ride was on dirt road or straight up potholes. My phone thought I had climbed 120 flights of stairs that day. We did have two bathroom breaks, which was exciting, but squat toilets are not my favorite. The bus wasnt as crowded as I expected as there were rarely people standing, but a couple and their young son took up the two seats next to me. At 2:45am we reached Benaco (or Benako. Or kasulo. Depending on the map).

 I took a taxi to the Rusumo border gate for 20,000 TSH (9USD). I went throug I'm going to first give great detail of my border crossing from Tanzania to Rwanda. There isn't much information as to how to do it by bus, and I want to help out future travelers. Skip down if you wish.

I started in Mwanza, TZ and stayed over night at Millennium Square Hotel. I bought my ticket to Benaco the night before at the bus rank nearby (Nyagezi) for 20,000 TSH (about 10USD). A guard walked me the 5 minutes to the bus rank at 5:15am. Reporting time was 5:30am. I put my bag under the bus and was assigned a seat. The bus was a 5 column,12 row charter bus slated to leave at 6am.

We pulled out at 6am with about 10 people on the bus. At about 6:15 we were told to get off the bus to buy tickets for the ferry (I assume. It was in swahili. I do a lot of watching other people to know what I'm supposed to do.) The ticket was 1000TSH (about 50 cents). We then proceeded to the ferry and rode it across Lake Victoria for about thirty minutes. At some point the conductor called for everyone to get on the bus and I noticed that about 10 more people had joined us.

Oh Botswana. How you have spoiled me with your paved roads. Most of the 9 hour ride was on dirt road or straight up potholes. My phone thought I had climbed 120 flights of stairs that day. We did have two bathroom breaks, which was exciting, but squat toilets are not my favorite. The bus wasnt as crowded as I expected as there were rarely people standing, but a couple and their young son took up the two seats next to me. At 2:45am we reached Benaco (or Benako. Or kasulo. Depending on the map).

 I took a taxi to the Rusumo border gate for 20,000 TSH (9USD). I went through border beauracracy (stamp out of  TZ and into Rwanda in one building!), paid 30USD for my visa, walked across the border, used a forex, immediately boarded a bus, and we were pulling out to Kigali one hour and fifteen minutes later. Which, with the time change, was 3pm in Kigali.

My bus was not only driving on the right side of the road (CRAZY!) it was also luxury like I've never seen in Africa. Including USB chargers in the seat! What! It also cost 3000RWF (3.50USD). Although my guide book told me the trip should take 3 hours, we didn't arrive in Kigali until 8pm. I took a taxi from the bus station for 5,000RWF (6USD). In total, I traveled for 16.5 hours.

Needless to say, I slept well.

On my first full day in Kigali I mainly worked on job applications, did my laundry, and tried to get my head on straight. That night I went to dinner and then to an art gallery’s cocktail hour with a group of solo travelers from my hostel.

The next day, I went to the Kigali Genocide Memorial: a memorial dedicated to telling the story of the Rwandan Genocide, among other genocides, to honor victims and survivors, and to prevent future genocides around the world. The museum was moving. I was particularly touched by a picture of a two year old girl who had been murdered by a machete in 1994: the same age I was that year. It was important for me to honor this memorial and to learn all that I could about the one million people killed and the other atrocities that were committed here. We must learn the early signs of genocide if we are to prevent it from happening again. I fear we may not have learned our lesson yet.

In the evening, I went with a group from the hostel to a film festival showing at the convention center. The movie was called Victoria. It was German and it was all shot in a single shot, which was really artistically awesome. But the movies was extremely stressful to watch! It was fun going with the group though.

On Saturday I went to the Nyamirambo Women’s center, where I took a walking tour of the neighborhood which ended in a delicious lunch. I learned about the history of the historically Muslim neighborhood. Including the story of how museums finally gained rights and respect in Kigali. During the genocide people fled to places of worship for protection. Many who hid in churches were mastered, often with the help of the priests or pastors. The people in mosques are saved because the genocidaires were afraid of the rumored magic of Muslim people, so they would not enter.

The women's center is a self sufficient cooperative which provides classes and work for the women in the now diverse neighborhoods. If was a wonderful afternoon learning about the Rwandan lifestyle in Kigali. The tour guide was lively, the lunch was incredible, and the shop was amazing quality and prints.

That evening I went with the group from the hostel (which kept growing!) to see live music and crafts at a local  women's empowerment event. Afterwards a few of us came back and played cards for awhile. It was a very chill night and a great time with new friends.

Sunday we went to brunch at the Hôtel des Mille Collines, which is the hotel featured in Hotel Rwanda. The movie was filmed in South Africa so it doesn't look the same, but it was cool to see the history. Brunch was amazing and included love music and great friends. We went to a much taller hotel after to have tea on top of the roof for an incredible view of the city.

That evening we went to another film festival event where they screened a documentary called  MaliBlues about musicians in Mali and the persecutions they face from Islamic extremists. One of the most moving parts of the film was when a female international artist who had ran away from her village at 19 so she wouldn't have an arranged marriage, came back to her village after years. She sang a song to them about the horrors of female genital mutilation. It started a conversation among the women related to why it was being done and if it should be happening. The use of music and art to address social justice issues is extremely powerful and moving.

We finished up my last night with ice cream and laughter.

I really loved being in Kigali because I had a very nice, fairly big group of people to hang out with, and there were always things to do and experience. The city is clean and safe and livable and has a great vibe. Everyone in the hostel kept extending their stay because they were so happy in Kigali. I'm so glad I chose to stay so long. Everyone had wondered why I wanted to come here, but I just felt like I had to go. I'm so glad I did. The longer I was there the more I appreciated and admired the country and the people. It wasn't enough time for Rwanda. I must come back.

COS 3: Tanzania

The most time I spent in any country was Tanzania. Two weeks in this beautiful country were well spent, and probably not enough time.

Dar Es-Salaam
A massive port city full of diversity, I stayed at the Slow Leopard in a fancier part of town. The hostel was perfect: wifi, air con, free breakfast, showers...everything my heart desires. I spent my first day at Coco Beach, looking out at the Indian Ocean, before finding amazing gelato . I met a bunch of Tanzanian PCV’s who were in town for their MST. It was refreshing to talk to people who spoke my language (peace corps) and fun to hear about their experiences. I also met an American who's night I ruined by accident. He was explaining his trip plans and I was a bit too skeptical of his plan to do 6 countries by bus in a month. Sometimes I'm too practical and too much of a planner to be counted amongst the backpackers who are all basically flying by the seat of their pants. Oh well. We all travel differently! Live music topped off the relaxing day.

The next day I took the local busses into the main part of the city to explore. I ended up taking a tour with Dar Es-Salaam Center for Architectural Heritage. They just opened in July and are not well known yet, so I ended up having a private two hour walking tour of old and new architecture. There are buildings from the Sultan, from the Germans, from the British, from modern Tanzanian architects, and more modern western skyscrapers. I learned so much history during the tour and got a much better understanding of the city and its origins. It was a wonderful tour and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in history or architecture!

After, I went to the oldest Indian resturaunt in Tanzania, Purnima, and had vegetarian thali (I had no idea what I was ordering, but it wasn't bad!). I love walking through the streets of Dar. As long as people aren't trying to sell me something, I'm so happy to be exploring and seeing people in their daily life. My soul still aches to be living in the heart of it all in a major city. With about  20 million people in this city, there's a lot of living going on.

My incredible guide from earlier met me after lunch and took me to a massive market where I ended up buying flowy pants while we pushed our way through blocks and blocks of shops. People from all over TZ shop there for what they need. I didn't get any pictures because I was afraid of having my phone out, but it was unlike anything I'd ever seen.
The most time I spent in any country was Tanzania. Two weeks in this beautiful country were well spent, and probably not enough time.

Dar Es-Salaam
A massive port city full of diversity, I stayed at the Slow Leopard in a fancier part of town. The hostel was perfect: wifi, air con, free breakfast, showers...everything my heart desires. I spent my first day at Coco Beach, looking out at the Indian Ocean, before finding amazing gelato . I met a bunch of Tanzanian PCV’s who were in town for their MST. It was refreshing to talk to people who spoke my language (peace corps) and fun to hear about their experiences. I also met an American who's night I ruined by accident. He was explaining his trip plans and I was a bit too skeptical of his plan to do 6 countries by bus in a month. Sometimes I'm too practical and too much of a planner to be counted amongst the backpackers who are all basically flying by the seat of their pants. Oh well. We all travel differently! Live music topped off the relaxing day.

The next day I took the local busses into the main part of the city to explore. I ended up taking a tour with Dar Es-Salaam Center for Architectural Heritage. They just opened in July and are not well known yet, so I ended up having a private two hour walking tour of old and new architecture. There are buildings from the Sultan, from the Germans, from the British, from modern Tanzanian architects, and more modern western skyscrapers. I learned so much history during the tour and got a much better understanding of the city and its origins. It was a wonderful tour and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in history or architecture!

After, I went to the oldest Indian resturaunt in Tanzania, Purnima, and had vegetarian thali (I had no idea what I was ordering, but it wasn't bad!). I love walking through the streets of Dar. As long as people aren't trying to sell me something, I'm so happy to be exploring and seeing people in their daily life. My soul still aches to be living in the heart of it all in a major city. With about  20 million people in this city, there's a lot of living going on.

My incredible guide from earlier met me after lunch and took me to a massive market where I ended up buying flowy pants while we pushed our way through blocks and blocks of shops. People from all over TZ shop there for what they need. I didn't get any pictures because I was afraid of having my phone out, but it was unlike anything I'd ever seen.
She dropped at the bus station and I proceeded to be befriended by a very kind woman  who made sure I did my bus transfer correctly. We talked for awhile about hair and family, and she was incredibly sweet and helpful. It is so special to be able to effortlessly bond with another woman when you don't share nationality, religion, or race. There is a sisterhood that surpass all of that.

People had told me to limit my time in Dar es Salaam. They hadn't liked it. But I loved it. It was a real living and breathing city with centuries of history and a diverse set of people united under one flag. I felt a calming rush finding my way through the city, reinforcing my yearning to call a metropolis home. I was the happiest I had been in a new place during this trip, and it erased my boredom with myself. I was sad to leave it.

Zanzibar
The island, off the coast of Tanzania, was incredible. I stayed with other RPCV'S in an airbnb in Stone Town for three nights and then went with Evan to Paje for two. In Stonetown we went to the markets and enjoyed the history and culture on a walking tour. Evan and I also took a boat trip to a sand bar one day, which felt like a dream until it started raining. We also saw a tradition music performance and had a beautiful beach day. Although very touristy and a bit pricey, it was fun to see the unique and gorgeous culture in stone town and to spend time living in a beautiful 4 floor apartment built in the 1800s.

 In Paje we stayed in a little sand floor bungalow at a hostel next to the beach. Within 30 seconds of turning off the light the first night, something flew and hit our bug net, and I cried laughing as Evan stood on the bed with a flashlight and proclaimed “People pay $40 a night TO BE VOLUNTEERS!!!” We rented bikes and spent a lot of time doing my favorite beach activity : nothing. The food was great and the views were breathtaking. I wish I had had a bit more time in Zanzibar, but it was time well spent.

Moshi
My flight to Moshi was unfortunately atelier delayed 4 hours, so I was unable to take a hike at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro, but the view alone was worth the trip. I met a local who took me out to see Friday night in moshi and it was lovely : live music, dancing, and karaoke. My hostel was also wonderful and lucked into a room to myself.

Arusha
I took the bus the next day to Arusha, which is on the other side of kilimanjaro, next to Mt Meru, the second highest peak in Africa. I met an extremely kind local on the bus who helped me with trip planning. Without him I would have been very stuck in a few days time, and I was grateful for his friendship.

I stayed in a hostel which hosts volunteers and felt more like a communal house: we would eat breakfast and dinner together and we even watched movies one night. I spent most of my time in Arusha figuring out my bus ticket out, but I also went to the Natural History Museum. The town has a lot of people trying to get you to buy art and it wasn't worth spending much more time in.


Musoma/Mwanza
Monday morning I took a 6am bus across the Ngorogoro Conservation and the Serengeti to Mosuma. It was a charter bus full of locals, and I had to get off at all the park entrances and exists to get my permits cleared, paid for, stamped, etc. The majority of the bus ride was on a dirt road, and I found myself repeating the mantra “people survive this every day” as the driver acted as though we were in the indy500. I was able to see some animals (antelope, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, and even elephants!) and the views were beautiful. Next time I'm in TZ,  hopefully I'll have the time and the money to do a proper safari.

The bus to Musoma took over 12 hours. I stayed the night and then hopped on another bus (only 4 hours) to Mwanza where I prepared for my 18+ hour bus ride to Kigali Rwanda. On the bus to mwanza I couldn't help but laugh as the bus driver tried to set me up with his son when we stopped in his home village. This kid could not have been over 20. Everywhere I go people assume I'm 3-6 years younger than I am. I guess the water in Solon really is the elixer of youth.

Although I spend a lot more money in Tanzania then I had planned, over all I really enjoyed my visit . I'm glad I spent two weeks in the country, but I could have definitely spent more as there is so much to see and do. I'm looking forward to coming back at some point!

COS Part 2: Malawi

It was in a very early ride through the city that I said goodbye to Cape Town and started my first leg of solo travel. I've done plenty of flights alone, but I've never gone somewhere by myself without anyone to even visit, so I was a bit nervous. But my plans were all set and I just had to take it one step at a time.

Lilongwe
I took two very early flights and got into the capital city around 1. From what I can tell, even though there are roughly 17 million people in Malawi, the capital isn't nearly as developed as Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. It's hard not to compare every where I go to Bots! As soon as I got to the Mabuya Camp hostel l passed out, but I woke up in time to meet a Canadian couple who very kindly invited me to dinner at a delicious Indian resturaunt. Shout out to Canadians who have been instant friends everywhere I've gone so far.

Senga Bay
The next morning I made my way to Senga Bay, about three hours east of Lilongwe, via Selina, on Lake Malawi. I had to take 2 very hot, very full, very mechanically unreliable “mini busses” (in Bots, combi's) to get there, including our transmission continuously cutting out on the first one, and a 20 minute police block stop in the second one, with my huge bag. Luckily, two years in Bots prepared me for exactly this situation and I got through it zen as could be. I got to Cool Runnings Backpackers and instantly fell in love. Grass, trees, padded lounge chairs facing the beach, and a little bungalow to sleep in. Lake Malawi is so huge that I thought for a moment that I was looking at the Indian Ocean: I have to keep reminding myself that Mozambique is on the other side!

 I made friends with a German couple who are driving around the region for 6 months and a London guy who has a charity project in the county. We chatted throughout the evening, and I enjoyed fish from the lake for dinner. The staff here are amazing, and since there were so few guests when I first arrived, I felt particularly spoiled.

On my second morning I woke up early to hand wash my laundry, which was in quite a state of disarray after two weeks and a lot of spilled chocolate sauce. The locals complimented my technique, which gave me great pride and made me thankful for my host mother for teaching me well. Hand washing can be hard work, but it's also extremely rewarding to see your clothes clean on the line.

I also took a nearly 4 mile beach walk, where two local guys chatted with me for most of it, until they inevitably got me to buy a painting from them for way too much. I get swindled into things for the sake of conversation just like the next person, and I always feel dumb about it after. Still, it was nice to chat with them and learn more about Malawi.

The hostel filled with people over the weekend as there was a music festival on the other side of the bay. I had a roommate and new friend from London, who I shared beach yoga and meals with, which was great. But mostly, I read, journaled, and people watched. Sometimes, the best part of an adventure is doing nothing and knowing that that is perfectly fine.

On Saturday I found my own way to celebrate Boipuso (Botswana's independence!) by taking a walk to the market and eating nsema (paleche, or maize meal) with spinach and beef, the closest I could get to pop and seswa. I even ate with my hands, something that was much more successful than usual.

Two of my Canadian friends arrived and we spent one afternoon in search of a crocodile farm. We walked for nearly two hours down the beach before we found it, and by the time we got back my already severely sunburned fest were starting to blister undetneath. But it was a fun adventure and well worth the hunt. That night I soon forgot about my feet when I accidently electricuted myself when my adaptor broke off from the wall. Don't worry mom, I'm totally taking care of myself and putting my medical kit to good use!

It was 5 days well spent at the beach. Then one more night in Lilongwe before taking a flight to Dar Es-Salaam, Tanzania!

Malawi served as a place for me to disconnect from the internet and the goodbyes behind me. It was liberating to choose not to take on what is surely the emotional work of being on the internet in these days. I was able to spend days staring into the waves, sorting myself out and starting to look into the future. I began to think more and more about home and the family I get to see in a little over a month. There is certainly much more to be seen and to do in this beautiful country, but that will have to be a trip for another day.

COS: Cape Town

My Close of Service Trip has officially begun! We did it. I am an RPCV. We had a few nights in gabs, many tearful goodbyes, including my host sibs at the airport <3 tears in passport control, tears on the plane….First stop, South Africa. I traveled here with Joiwyn, and we made quite a few friends along the way. Thank you to Joiwyn who put up with my grieving mess of a soul for days on end. Here are some highlights!

Port Elizabeth
We flew into cold and  rainy PE in t-shirts. We were not prepared for the weather! But we were able to spend the afternoon exploring the boardwalk and started our food tour of the garden route with sushi. We just spent one night and we're picked up by the baz bus (a hop on, hop off bus) in the early morning.

The Crags
We stayed in a beautiful hostel up in the hills and deep in the forest. This hippie collective-esque location had beautiful views and nice little hikes through the forest. On our second day we went zip-lining through the forest! We made new friends and played a lot of cards while being surrounded by the owners cats and dogs. The meals were fresh, healthy, and delicious. With a lot of delicious ice cream. It was so nice to see all of the green!

Mossel Bay
We hit the accommodation jackpot once again staying in an actual train right on the beach! We spent one day going out to Oudtshorn to see the caves, but other than that, we spent most of this stretch of the trip playing cards and eating. It was nice to relax and just enjoy each other's company, while making new friends.

Cape Town
What a city. It was so nice to be in a city. The hustle and bustle of hundreds of thousands of people going about their daily lives. The mixture of culture and language. The food! The shopping! Exquisite. We went on a tour to the Cape of Good Hope with an incredible guide, shopped till we dropped, and ate everything we could manage. We laughed hard at the Cape Town comedy club, treated ourselves to mini massages. I also got to see the grand opening of the spectacular Zeitz Museum of Modern Africa Art. We met up with friends and made new friends. As I type this I'm finishing dinner at The Crypt, a well known jazz bar, waiting for a jam session to start.

Joiwyn left today, so I'm on my own for the next ten days or so. Next stop, Malawi.

What a trip. What a world.

Virgo Season

A monument,

Tall, dark, solid.

She glides forward

For a better look.

Here, is history.

Here is knowledge. 

Here is potential. 

She runs. 

It is too much to know that it might be real. 

An arrow,

Quick, strong, determined.

She bares her chest,

Waiting to be struck.

Here, is fire.

Here is ambition. 

Here is strength. 

She decides

It is too much not to be pierced.

A blanket,

Warm, gentle, comforting.

She wraps it around her,

Breathing deeply. 

Here, is kindness. 

Here is affection. 

Here is trust. 

She smiles

It is too much to remember tomorrow. 

A hole,

Empty, shaking, deep. 

She wraps her arms around it,

Trying to contain it. 

Here, is loss. 

Here is sorrow. 

Here is uncertainty. 

She is. 

It is too much.

"Tell The World, I'm Coming Home"

By the time I fly into Cleveland, I will have taught over 3,200 students, gained two new families, traveled to 10 African countries, completed 4 journals, and spent 775 days calling Botswana home. In my 2+years of Peace Corps service, I have endured endless bad days and countless good days, with the inner monologue of Leslie Knope pushing me forward. I have made incredible friends, many lifelong, with whom I have laughed and cried and laughed till I cried. I tried my best to document the big moments on this blog, and I thank all of you for stopping in to read and support me from time to time. About 15 of you in particular have read just about every post, and for that I am truly touched.

I'd like to send a special shout out to my family. My mom and dad have supported me every step of the way. My mom's voice inside my head has kept me cautious and the mantra "I've promised my mother I'd come back in one piece" has kept me safe. My dad's declaration of pride has kept me moving forward, and always trying my best, even on the hardest days. My parents love, packages, phone calls, and family updates have been the best substitute for their hugs I could've asked for, and it was because of them that I was able to spend two incredible weeks exploring southern Africa with them, and two unforgettable weeks home. Mom and Dad, I could not have done this without you. Thank you. 

Miranda, Rachel, Eric, Jolynn, and Billy: thank you for sending me endless baby pictures, choir concert recordings, surprises in packages, texts, and love. The rare occasions we could call or Skype meant the world to me. Mostly, thank you for helping build my relationship with Kade, Rayne, and Elliot even from 8,000 miles away. 

To the rest of the family: between packages, Facebook, snapchat, and emails, I was grateful for all the moments we could connect. I am looking forward to being home for the holidays more than anything else. 

I certainly would not have gotten through PC without my friends back home as well. Thank you to everyone who sent letters and packages. To those who messaged me with updates or to check in. To those of you who kept me laughing with pictures and outrageous stories. I certainly felt the love, and it helped me be a better PCV. So much love to Ali, Allison, Britt, Glenna, Lisa, Rachel, SJ, Vlk, Glew, Carolyn, Becca, Molly, Samantha, Philip, Clay, Austin, and others, who were always there with words of encouragement or just to listen.

Bots 16s & Staff at our Close of Service Conference

I wish I had words for what my fellow PCVs have meant to my service. For now, I'll say thank you, and I can't wait to see you That side. 

*******

There was a blog post a few years back joking about how to take care of your newly returned RPCV. Some of my favorite points include allowing them to hide when they are feeling over stimulated and to not let them into a Walmart alone for several weeks. I am returning from service a different person than when I left. I have softened some of my edges, both literally and metaphorically, and it will take me time to adjust back to the high paced, individualistic, consumerist mecca that is America. I am used to having nothing to do but go to work every week day and wash my laundry by hand on the weekends. I am used to being inside my house by dark and waking up with the sun. I am used to only seeing american friends one weekend a month and spending most of the weekend talking about bodily functions. I can react strongly to violence in movies that others see as normal, not because I'm too sensitive, but because I've seen how violence impacts my students. I'm extra cautious around new people after spending two years being asked if I'll either give someone money or marry them due to my white skin and young appearance. I spend much of my time in self reflection or talking endlessly to other PCVs about condom olympics, gender based violence, or one of the 1000 acronyms that rule our service. 

On any average day I am grateful, grieving, and anticipating the future. I am overjoyed to be so close to seeing the people I love in America, but struggling to say goodbye to the people I love in Botswana.

I ask that you are patient with me. Understand that I may move a bit slow, need a bit more sleep, disappear from time to time. Understand that I am of the same essence as before, but much has also changed, and is still changing. Know that I will start 9/10 conversations with "this one time in Botswana." Try to listen and ask questions about my last two years, and I promise to try to listen and ask questions about yours. Be gentle with me when I don't understand pop culture references or I haven't tried the latest food craze. Be patient.

I can't wait to see you all. 

Cleveland, I'm coming hOme. 

A Love Letter

Dear Batswana,

I don't know how to leave you. I don't know how to say goodbye. How to walk away from this gorgeous country. To not hear the birds when I walk to work or the cows when I'm falling asleep. I don't know how to say goodbye to you, without knowing when we'll say hello again. I don't know how to be okay with giving you one last hug. With getting in the car to drive out of this village. With walking through airport security. My heart has become a mosaic: shattered by goodbyes and messily glued together with kindness. I don't know how to leave you, but I know I must thank you.

Ke a leboga. Truly. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you.

You welcomed me into your country with warm smiles. You welcomed me into your homes without question. You fed me and tended to me. You checked in on me when I was sick. You showed me how to draw my bath, walk to work, cook paleche. You took me to community events and church services.  You introduced me to friends and neighbors. You helped me.

Ke a leboga.

You taught me Setswana. You drove me or sat next to me through hundreds of kilometers of roads in busses, sprinters, combis, taxis, and cars. You greeted me on my walk. You offered me traditional foods and drinks time and time again, until I loved (almost) all of it. You took me to see masemo and you brought me your extra goat, or corn, or melon. You called to check on me when I was quiet. You helped when I was lost. You protected me.

Ke a leboga.

You helped me understand cultural differences. You brought me to the fun. You let me crash and drove me to and from the airport. You had me over for family dinners. You watched movies and went dancing with me. You kept me company. You had braiis with me. You traveled with me. You stood up for me. You made me a part of your family. You embraced me.

Thank you to the Keatshabe's for teaching me everything I needed to know to be a Motswana. Thank you to the Pholoba's for watching over me and letting me tag along for two years. Thank you to my coworkers for your friendship and enlightening conversations. Thank you to my Mma K and Mma Diepo for letting me try out new ideas and always supporting my projects. Thank you to my students for being my sunshine and purpose for two years, and for certainly teaching me far more than I could have taught in return. Thank you to all the other friends I met throughout the village and beyond for showing me the good heart of Batswana. And thank you to Vicky for always, always being there for me, from day one.

Ke a leboga, ditsala yame. I have grown so much in the past two years thanks to your love. As I get ready to leave Botswana, it is not goodbye, but see you next time.

Love,
Mpho

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.

- Maya Angelou

Teaching Kindness

A snapshot of my week.

On Monday I was in the lab while a class was watching MLK's I Had A Dream speech. I stayed to listen and was in tears at how the very things he spoke against are so wide spread in America today. The students were supposed to be evaluating the speech for english devices, instead they kept wanting to talk about it's meaning. I cried again.

On Tuesday I was discussing sexuality in class and a student told me that homosexuality is wrong. I stopped the class and asked them if they could recall a time when people were not allowed to own land, go to university, hold political office, or be truly free because of who they are. They immediately talked of apartheid. We discussed how people were being oppressed by the law because of the color of their skin, because of who they were born to be. Now, that sort of discrimination is illegal. I urged them to think of LGBTQ rights people fighting for their right to live their lives, regardless of who they love. People, trying to be people. Just like every other person.

On Wednesday I walked in a classroom to find three swastika's graffitied on the back wall. Before I began my planned lesson, I asked my students if they knew which of the many graffiti drawings were offensive. They pointed to a ninja, a joint, and everything but the answer I was looking for until one student figured it out. I gauged their understanding of Hitler, WW2, knowing they cover it in their curriculum but only if they take the optional history class, before I gave them a short lesson on why it was offensive. I placed emphasis on the over 8 million people, mostly Jewish, who were murdered by the Nazi's. I asked them to have the symbols removed by the time I returned to their class. We spent the rest of class answering the question "what is love?"

On Thursday I had the students tell me whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement "A woman who carries a condom in her purse is a slut." Several boys strongly agreed because they said it meant she was ready for sex anywhere, any time. A majority of the class strongly disagreed, commending the woman for taking care of herself and her health. I didn't need to say a word. Later, a boy proclaimed "girls are like toothbrushes. They should be thrown away and replaced every 3 months." Next, in response to the statement "sex is more important to men than to women" a boy told me sex is painful to women. I told him that if the woman he was having sex with was in pain, he was probably doing something wrong. Sometimes you have to be blunt to get people's attention.

On Friday when I walked in to class, the swastika's were gone. Painted over by students. I thanked them. I read them the transcript of Tea is Consent. It was a good day.

Working with adolescents is energizing because they are at an important cross roads in their life where they are taking the information, values, and ideas about the world that they've always been taught or shown, and starting to challenge them and decide what is true for them. As a teacher who comes from a very different background as my current students, and who is very different from many adults they encounter in their lives, I take my ability to give them alternatives to consider very seriously. After teaching a class on the Gender Unicorn last week I had a student ask me WHERE I got the ideas for all of my crazy lessons. For most of my students, what I teach to them may be the first and only time they hear about consent, healthy relationships, and gender equality from a trusted adult.

Most importantly, I try to instill in my students the concept that every human being is equal. Every person, no matter their appearance or identity or preferences, is a person. A person who deserves respect, equal rights, and kindness. Every day the news reeks of dehumanization, all over the world. This morning I woke up to news of white supremacists and nazi's marching on a university campus that could have very well been my own. I can not change the minds of 20 and 30 year old white men who I've never met, but I can go to work on Monday and do my best to stay present and open with my students. Knowing that even if I only influence one of my students to be less sexist, less homophobic, less transphobic, less racist, it could make a real difference. Teaching it to adolescents helps me figure out how to talk about it with adults. It allows me to ask questions, to understand the root of the beliefs, to mold effective discussions. I still have a lot to learn in terms of decolonizing the classroom, but I'm doing what I can with what I know.

We all have influence. Where can you dedicate yourself to change? How can you help move us towards an equitable, just, and kind society?

Re Bokamoso, Let's GLOW!

For the past 6 months or so, I've been apart of the National GLOW Camp committee in Bots. GLOW stands for Girls (and Guys) Leading Our World and can be found in Peace Corps countries around the world. Many of my fellow PCVs have run GLOW camps throughout Bots, consisting of groups of students in their village or region, coming together for 3-5 days to learn life skills, leadership, and sexual and reproductive health. Although I had helped run two successful and similar Boot Camps at my school, I had yet to be apart of a GLOW camp, something RPCVs had told me I must do. Two PCVs from my intake group decided to attempt a National GLOW camp, pulling students from all over the country, and after applying, I was chosen to be on the curriculum committee. As a committee, we set the curriculum schedule and sessions for the camp. I focused mainly on Life Skills: goal setting, communication, emotional health, self confidence, positive friendships, stress management, decision making, and self awareness.

The National GLOW team (which we named, Re Bokamoso, Let's GLOW!) worked tirelessly on funding, logistics, curriculum, and everything in-between. The students finally arrived over the July holidays and we spent the week with 78 eight and ninth graders, and their teachers, social workers, and nurses, from all over the country. It was an incredible week. It was amazing to see the curriculum I had been developing come to life on day 1. As the days passed, you could see students breaking out of their shells, becoming more confident, and believing in themselves. Students made friends with kids from other schools and worked together to excel throughout the camp. Day 1 was dedicated to life skills, day 2 to sexual and reproductive health as well as HIV awareness and prevention, day 3 to gender and relationships, and day 4 to leadership. On day 4 we took a field trip to Parliament and were able to tour the building. I was so proud of our students as they asked intelligent questions that seemed to stump our tour guide, and continued to make sure their voices were heard. Our certificate ceremony was a celebration like no other as we cheered with all our might for each and every participant.

They came to us unsure and timid, but they left full of energy and confidence, armed with new knowledge and friendships. As we said goodbye to each van and bus full of students, I gave them all high fives and reminded them to be rock stars. It was the perfect final project of my PC service. We had an incredible group of facilitators and an inspirational group of kids. A week to remember for a lifetime.

COSC, Zambia, and Rhinos!

The end of June saw all of the PCVs in my cohort taking long bus rides up to Kasane for our Close of Service Conference (COSC). COSC is a conference dedicated to saying goodbye to Peace Corps and starting to think about the future. So naturally, nearly everyone is in a different state of emotional disarray. It took me two days and approximately 12 hours on busses to make my way, but it was so worth it. It's baby elephant season in Kasane, and I was so excited for the cuteness, that it was basically all I could talk about the whole way up. As PCVs tend to do, on each leg of our journey, more would join our group until practically the whole bus was talking in loud American accents.

Our conference was at the beautiful Kasane River Lodge and included warthogs roaming the lawn and a beautiful river view. We had three days of sessions on preparing to leave, reflection, resume building, job hunting, and the long list of administrative tasks we have to do before we can leave the country. We also had a beautiful boat trip filled with hippo sightings and a magnificent game drive with endless baby elephants. As well as an awful Elephant that decided to aim it's fart right at our vehicle as it walked by. It was atrocious. During the conference I started to realize how grateful I am that I'll be returning to school for two semesters rather than job hunting immediately after service. There was a lot of time for friendship as well, to which I'm grateful, as it was the last time my cohort will all be together.

After the conference, a few of us took advantage of our proximity to other countries (Botswana meets Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe at the Chobe River) and went to Livingstone, Zambia. This was my 6th African country to visit! I wish we had more time to explore the rest of the country, but we only had two days for a short trip. Teresa, Gary, Joiwyn and I met Nele, a friend I had met in Australia four years ago through theater, at our hostel, Jollyboys. We also spent time with two other PCVs and a family who's daughter Teresa knew from Bots. On our first day we went to a market that was much more akin to what I had expected when coming to PC. There were tons of stalls with food in baskets and things hanging from the rafters. There was quite the smell coming from the fish and meat, as well as a mass of flies. We were in search of traditional african fabric, and we found the jackpot. There were several large stalls filled with beautiful prints for great prices, of which I bought a few.

We spent the majority of our second day White Water Rafting the Zambezi river, which flows from Victoria Falls (the largest waterfall in the world if you count both height and width). The hardest part was walking straight down the side of the gorge for what felt like an hour (probably 25 minutes?). I was so pathetically unprepared for the descent that one of the guides actually let me steady my hand on his shoulder for the majority of the trek. I kept telling them "I live in Botswana. You know how it is there? It's FLAT." Which was about the only humor I could muster. Our boat had 8 people plus our guide. We were with Bundu adventures who also had two other boats out for the day. The water was pretty cold, and there were (small) crocodiles in the river, so we tried our best to stay in the boat, and we were the only group that was successful! I've never been white water rafting before, and I'm so glad I went. It was a great adventure and I'm looking forward to rafting again.

After Zambia, we traveled back to Botswana and made our way down to Serowe to go to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary. At the sanctuary we stayed in a chalet and took two game drives. On our night drive we stumbled upon a rhino just meters from our vehicle. Suddenly, the rhino was startled, turned around, faced us, and started to run. At the last moment, it realized we were a large object (rhinos have poor eyesight) and veered to the side of us. This is the second time I've been in a game drive vehicle with Gary, Teresa, and Joiwyn and thought I was going to die (the first was a mother leopard we upset in September at Tuli Block). I'm not sure if that means I should do more or less drives with them.

We saw tons of Rhinos at the sanctuary, which has about 50 rhinos in it at the moment. Rhinos are highly poached due to their horns, which grow similarly to a finger nail. Thankfully, poaching hasn't been a problem in Botswana since the 90s. This is partially due to the fact that it is well known that if you attempt to poach in Bots, you will be shot on sight. Apparently, hangings used to be very common as well.

We saw a baby rhino on our morning drive, which was a fabulous start to our 4th of July, but one of the most surprising moments was when we had a visitor at lunch. We were sitting in the restaurant, which is enclosed with large glass windows and doors, when suddenly we noticed a Black Rhino (much more rare!) wandering around outside. It made it's way to the pool and started to drink. We rushed to the windows to take pictures, when one of the waitstaff opened the door for us and encouraged us to go outside to take better pictures. Now, after seeing that Rhino run last night, and hearing that black rhinos are the most dangerous, I was skeptical of going outside. But she insisted that sometimes people swim in the pool while the rhino comes to drink! So we got 4th of July selfies with the pool party crashing rhino. Not bad.

All in all, it was a great trip. But what touched me the most was when I returned home. I got to school the next day and was greeted by students who were concerned about where I was, by teachers who were delighted I was back, and by administration who hugged me and welcomed me home. I had been gone over testing, so I didn't miss very much, but I was missed, and that was enough. I only have a couple months left in my Peace Corps journey, and I'm not looking forward to saying goodbye to this life I've created for myself and these people who are my community. And I'm definitely not ready to say goodbye to the baby elephants.

Bush-fiyah!

Over memorial weekend I had the pleasure of going to Swaziland for Bushfire Music Festival. This was my first music festival and I was elated to be going with a car full of wonderfully wacky friends. Rati and Gary, two of my host siblings, drove, and Evan, Emmy, Joiwyn and I stuffed ourselves into the back of their van. On Wednesday night Evan and Joiwyn spent the night in my ice box of a house. Now that it's winter, there are only about 8 hours of sunlight in my village because it's shadowed by hills. My house it surrounded by trees and never gets direct sunlight. In the winter it is only truly warm if you're in the sun. That means my house sits around 40 degrees most of the time. My house is made of cinder blocks, which makes it like living in a very cold basement. I sleep most nights in underarmor, ski socks, sweat pants, a sweatshirt, and with two-three thick  blankets. Occasionally I'll even heat up my hot water bottle! Needless to say, my friends always complain about my house when they visit in the winter!

On Thursday we drove halfway and spent the night in Pretoria, SA at my host sister place. It was fun to see my host brothers who had been staying there for school and to have a night with family. We left early Friday morning to make the rest of the close to 10+ hour drive and arrived in Swaziland in the late afternoon. Swazi was so beautiful: tons of rolling green hills and gorgeous mountains. Fields of pineapples. Beautiful. We set up camp at the festival and started to explore. The festival had four stages: a small barn, a large concert stage, an indoor house of Blues style stage, and a dance floor stage for the djs. There was also a large fair trade craft market and a large food area. Obviously the food was the most highly anticipated perk, with the taco stand and the vegan/gluten free stand winning the day.

Over the weekend there was non stop music of all styles from all over the world. Most of the artists came from South Africa, but there were a lot from all over Africa, some from Europe, and even one from the US (a group that had been on The Sing Off!). I loved them all. I recommend looking up Kwesta, TKZ, Jeremy Loops, Matthew Mole, and Msaki.  Since we didn't really know any of the acts we could float from stage to stage and just enjoy all of it. During the day was more of a chill atmosphere and at night it turned into a party. It was absolutely amazing. The first night we were waiting for an act to start at the main stage and we met tons of other PCVs who were serving in surrounding countries. Suddenly, Toto came on and EVERYONE started singing at the top of their lungs, dancing and laughing. I'm not going to lie, I got a little choked up when they said they miss the rains down in Africa. It was a beautiful moment and a perfect start to an incredible weekend.

The whole weekend was a variation of eating, listening to music, shopping, dancing, and sleeping, in any order. We took a trip outside the festival to a candle factory/art space one day which was fun as well. We met so many people and had a blast. But more than anything I was so glad to be there with such great friends. It was freezing at night in our tents but being there with them made it worth it. I'm lucky to have made lifelong friends during my service. People I can laugh myself silly with and also won't judge me when I eat my 4th taco. I wouldn't have made it through service without them.

We returned late on Monday: exhausted, cold, and smiling. Another country and another incredible adventure on the books.

Namibia and Peace Corps Zen

We were broken down in the middle of the barren dessert of Namibia with limited food and water and miles to the next town when I officially completed one of my goals of Peace Corps: reaching Peace Corps Zen.

Peace Corps Zen is this calm that permeates from RPCVs long after service. In the face of any adversity, there is a stillness and calm, like the eye of a storm, that guides them through. When I first met RPCVs I could tell there was more than their experiences that connected them. After some time I started to call the grounded peace in the face of chaos Peace Corps Zen. Any issue was solvable, any problem, minimum.If there was a will, there was a way. Two years of creating change against unimaginable challenges taught them that anything is possible. And that, my friends, is what I wanted out of Peace Corps. In April of 2017 I could finally say I achieved it.

I just returned from a two week trip to Namibia with three other PCVs. We rented a car, packed it to the brim, and first drove South West to spend a night in Upington SA. From there we ventured to Fish River Canyon in Namibia, said to be the Grand Canyon of Africa. We spent two nights camping there. Joiwyn and I shared a tent which we had borrowed. It turned out to be a junior scout tent which was much to small for both of us and led to four nights of very little sleep and me undoubtedly taking up way more than my share. There was also a pool heated by a natural spring. It was fun to cook and play cards and enjoy the campsite.

From the canyon we continued up to Souselvei where the massive sand dunes are located. On the way we ran into a road block: a flatbed truck had fishtailed across the road in the middle of a hill. A bus full of German tourists were already stopped waiting. A pickup truck was backed up to the back of the flatbed with a pole running from the tow hitch to the side of the flatbed, and the flatbed was raised on a crank and some rocks. The pickup would slowly back up until the flatbed shifted enough it was pushed off the rocks and stopped. Then they would set up again and start over. The flatbed moved about 6 inches at a time and a little over an hour later, enough room was made for the (now 6) cars to pass through.

We stayed at another campsite that overlooked a gorgeous mountain range. When we drove to the sand dunes the next day I was amazed at how beautiful it was to see mountains on one side of the road and massive sand dunes on the other side, equal in height and opposite in color. I got to climb up a sand dune, and I was surprised at how hard the sand hit as the wind whipped it around the higher we climbed. It was a beautiful sight.

We then traveled to Swakupmund, and during this bumpy ride we stopped a few times. The first was to see a view point that many other cars and tour busses were stopped at. The next time, there was a strange light on the dashboard, so we stopped and went to turn the car off and on again, only to have the car not turn back on. It was about then, when I was calmly going through the inventory of our car and thinking about possible outcomes, that I knew I had achieved Peace Corps Zen. I had no anxiety and no worries. I knew we would be fine and that we would get through the situation. Something always seems to work itself out.

 Luckily, someone drove by about 10 minutes later (we had been going hours without seeing another car before) who knew his way around a car (our manual was in japanese). Apparently our car battery had detached on the road (most of the roads were not paved and were very bumpy). After a quick fix, we were on the road again!. We stopped to have lunch at Walvis Bay, a sea town! Finally! The Atlantic Ocean! We also got to stop and watch hundreds of flamingos in the bay. I had never seen flamingos outside of the zoo before and it was beautiful to watch them in the water.

Swakupmund is also a sea town and, like much of Namibia, is heavily German influenced due to German colonization. We stayed in an AirBnB with an ocean view. It was a cute little apartment and absolutely perfect. We spent four days in Swakupmund walking around, shopping, relaxing, and eating tons of amazing food. Good restaurants are severely lacking in Bots, and we took full advantage of all the variety and sea food!

We also went quad biking (four wheelers?) on the sand dunes! It was incredible. We had a guide and then we all stayed in a line behind him, but we went all over the dunes. By the end we were doing figure 8s on massive dunes and it felt like a rollercoaster. I loved the adrenaline rush and I'm so glad we did it. On our last day we drove up the coast to see a massive seal colony at Cape Cross. There were thousands of seals! There was a boardwalk to separate the humans as we watched in delight as the loud and smelly seals enjoyed their day. It was fascinating to watch them interact, especially the hundreds of 4 month old baby seals.

We then took a turn East and started to head back to Bots. We spent two nights in Windhoek, the capital. It was a small but well planned city where we continued to feast. One night we spent at Joes which is famous for it's game meat. I've eaten a lot of different animals while I've been here, and mostly I like the large antelopes. We also ate at the Namibian Institute of Culinary Excellence, which was absolutely divine.

 We attempted to go to the national museum on our second day, but their hours were unclear and it ended up closing 30 minutes after we arrived. Namibia was a German colony until after WWII when it became a South African colony. It only gained it's independence in 1990. The colonization period wrecked the country with wars and a genocide of the Herero and Nama people by the Germans. Going through the little we saw of the museum was a reminder of how much of World History, particularly African History, we are not taught in American schools. I will always have more to learn.

I was surprised at how happy I was to enter back into Botswana. A true feeling of homecoming. Even talking to the customs guard was calming as I could once again use Setswana to build a connection and illicit a smile. We spent one night with another volunteer near the border before finishing our trip. It felt so good to be home.

BONASW

I had the great privilege of being invited to attend a Botswana National Association of Social Workers conference to celebrate International Social Workers Day! I traveled to Serowe for a two day event that included a Leadership Forum. There were Social Workers from all over Botswana who worked for government, non government organizations, in hospitals, and in small rural villages. These incredible individuals were passionate about their work. They welcomed me with open arms. 

On Friday we celebrated International Social Workers Day with a formal event with social workers and members of the community, including a speech from the guest of honor, Dr. John Victor Rautenbach, an active leader in the international social work community, from South Africa. He spoke on this year’s theme: Community and Environmental Sustainability. He discussed the changes globalization has brought to social work as well as social and environmental interdependency. We must use sustainable development to build healthy communities, government policies, and social program. We must focus on improving access to water and sanitation as well as clean and renewable energy. It is through sustainability that social issues can be addressed. Although social work is a human rights profession, he argued that we must expand to animal and environmental rights and that while we challenge structural inequalities we must also influence environmental policies. I was lucky to spend much of the weekend picking his brain about the field and his experiences and research, as well as two Doctors of Social Work from Botswana, Dr. Maripe, and Dr. Jongman. I feel like I am still a fresh green seed in the world of social work, and I am always hungry for knowledge and perspective into the profession and our roles around the world. It was a wonderful learning experience for me. 

Another inspiring speaker came from an NGO, Love Botswana, to remind us of the importance of our profession. She stressed monitoring and evaluation of interventions as well as circles of support to best serve clients. We are all fighting the same war, she remarked while discussing different entities working to help clinets. She stressed the importance of committing to all aspects of social work, not just what the community sees us as doing. Her final pieces of advice centered around mobilizing within the community so you are visible to them and training at the workplace to improve confidence and quality of work. Her pride in her profession was profound and she was met with resounding applause. 

Our long day of speeches was concluded with a vote of thanks. I’ll leave you with my favorite quote.

“It’s time for social workers, the foot soldiers of… civilization, to stand up together and save ourselves.” -Dr. Maripe

Saturday was a leadership forum for the social workers in the organization. Dr. Jongman presented a motivating talk on Human Rights and the Code of Ethics in the field of social work. Some of the violations he saw within Botswana included treatment of people with disabilities, the LGBTQ community, and commercial sex workers, the parody of less privileged people on TV, and child abuse. He impressed upon us the importance of our standards and our code of ethics to differentiate us from other professions. Values we must be adhering to include service, respect for the inherent dignity and worth of a person, social justice, integrity, competence, importance of human relationships, and engaging people as partners in the helping process. He asked us to claim our space as social workers by taking ourselves seriously. His talk increased my pride to be a social worker and helped me see that much work is still to be done in the world of social work. 

Dr. Ratenbach then took the floor to speak about his leadership style. His presentation was simple and impactful and it left us with the following points:

-The answer is always a default YES

-If you get the vision, you get the job

-Praise publicly, correct privately

-Leadership is not about control

-Respond immediately

-Do things once

-Simplify

-Delegate

-Facilitate a team attitude

-Not being afraid to ask for help

-People first

-Communicate, communicate, communicate

-If it’s not broken, don’t fix it

-Clarity

The leadership tips helped me to think about my own leadership style and to reflect on what I do that works and what I could do to improve. I also thought a lot about how I can help others to improve their leadership skills and how I can help my students embody this type of leadership style. 

After these great presentations, it was my turn! I was asked to present on Self Care as an important tool for Social Workers. I LOVE to talk about self care and to help people plan their own self care, so this was a perfect topic to present. I was most definitely nervous as I was following two distinguished speakers who have had many more years of experience in the field, but I was happy to be spreading self care to all. As social workers, the work is undoubtably emotionally, physically, and mentally taxing, day in and day out. The risk of secondary trauma (having symptoms of trauma due to helping others work through their own trauma) and burnout (no longer being able to work as a social worker due to extreme emotional exhaustion, lack of motivation, lack of interest or belief in ability etc) is very high with social workers. One way to combat these problems is through self care, or intentional acts done to help better your health. 

There are 6 common categories of self care. The following are examples under each category from www.olgaphoneix.com Self-Care Wheel:

Physical: exercise, eat healthy, be sexual, massages, take a walk, me time

Psychological: self-reflection, therapy, journal, garden, support group, positive thinking, sensory engagement

Emotional: affirmations, cry, social justice engagement, laugh, watch a funny movie, find a hobby

Spiritual: go into nature, sing, dance, play, be inspired, meditate, yoga, play with children

Personal: plan short and long-term goals, learn who you are, make a vision board, relax, spend time with loved ones

Professional: set boundaries, leave work at work, get regular supervision, take mental health days, learn to say no, take all vacation and sick days

The group worked with me to name self care strategies they could use in their daily lives to stay healthy and continue to be their best self at work and in life. I encourage you to also think about your own self care and come up with strategies you can use. You must believe you ARE worthy of self care, and prioritize it in your life. You can not take care of others unless you have taken care of yourself first. This is a lesson I have been trying to learn for a long time. 

My self care in Peace Corps is crucial to my success as a volunteer. I could not have made it the past 600+ days without nurturing myself. That includes yoga, dance, at least 5 fruits or veggies every day, getting a full night sleep or taking a nap, taking mini breaks thorough out the day that involve chatting with a friend or being in nature, journaling nightly, watching comedies and staying away from violence, disengaging from people who are trying to provoke me, regular calls home to see my nieces and nephews, coloring, listening to music, taking vacations, spending at least one weekend a month at a friends, turning off fb and twitter notifications, long baths, reading novels, morning and evening routines, and always listening to my body. 

I got great feedback on my presentation and I was happy to help fellow social workers start to think about their own self care. 

After the forum, four of us went to Khama Rhino Sanctuary nearby to go on a game drive. Rhino’s are one of the Big 5 (Elephant, Leopard, Rhino, Buffalo, Lion) animals. It was the only one I had not seen yet in Botswana! Rhino’s are poached for their horns which are sold mainly in asian markets as ivory. They were poached nearly to extinction. Botswana tried to save them by taking the few remaining rhinos in country and moving them to a sanctuary. They now have 40 rhinos! We saw around 15 while we were in the game reserve, including one that was less than 6 months old. They are incredibly powerful animals and it was an amazing site to see. I love being on game drives. All of the stress of the world melts away and I feel an excited bliss, similar to the serene calm I experience at the ocean. Being in nature is one of my top self care strategies that I neglect too often. I was so grateful for the opportunity. 

We ended the conference with a braai and dance party for the whole group. I’ve gotten pretty good at picking up the different dance moves common here with popular music, but my knees haven’t quite gotten used to the strain. Nevertheless, it was an awesome night with great new friends. I saw sad to drive home the next day and have to say Go Siame to so many wonderful social workers. What a great weekend of professional, spiritual, and personal self care.