Final Post

So the day has finally come where I have to say goodbye to Tanzania. It is currently 2 here and my flight leaves at 9:30 tonight. I then fly to Amsterdam, Minneapolis, and finally land in Chicago at around 3 on Sunday afternoon. I will be traveling for a good 24 hours and not looking forward to that but luckily one of my friends Sam is with me until Minneapolis so that will be nice to have company.

My last few days here have been spectacular. We had a goodbye dinner on Thursday night with about 15 girls whom I had become close to during my time here. Then Friday I had my last day at work which was also a great day. I helped the women learn how to write an email and do basic searches on google and wikipedia. They all seemed really appreciative when the session was over and it was a very satisfying feeling. I also got to spend a lot of time with the children during which time I read to them in the library area. Then after work that day, Sam and I, along with our supervisor volunteer Caitlin went to our director Mama Nancys house for lunch. She served us some of the most delicious food I have had since I have been here which consisted of mushroom pilaf, potatoes, avocado salad, sauteed spinach, beans, papaya, and chipati bread. Everything was wonderful and all through out our meal we sat around a table and discussed future ideas for KIWODEA and how Mama Nancy can improve the organization. I hadnt had a chance to speak with her about my ideas since the first time we talked so I was really happy she was so eager to hear our thoughts. After lunch we got a tour of her home and land, on which she keeps bees for honey, a mushroom house, a chicken coop, and land for growing crops. Everything was very well taken care of and I could tell she was very proud of her home.

After lunch and our sad goodbyes, Sam and I went back to the homebase and started to pack before watching the US world cup game with our other friends. Then we had dinner and got ready to go out to a local bar to watch the UK game. Sadly, a lot of our local friends were taking people on a safari so only a few of us were around but the few of us there had a good last night watching the game and enjoying each others company.

Then finally this morning I woke up to the dogs and roosters at 8 (which I may miss suprisingly enough), even though I was supposed to sleep in and went outside to find they were serving my favorite breakfast of funfetti cake pieces. I am still confused why they consider that a breakfast food but I dont complain. Then after packing some more, Sam, me, and our other two roommates Kasey and Amy went to visit Caitlins home in Rau, which is about a 20 minute drive from our house. We wanted to see a different part of Moshi and one that was more rural so Caitlin had invited us to her house for a tour of the neighborhood. It was really interesting and beneficial being able to see somewhere different than our area of Moshi and what peoples lives were like in these areas

Then afterwards we went and had fried chicken and rice with sauce at one of our favorite local restaurants Crisp Burger before coming to the internet cafe. I might do a little last minute shopping after this but for the most part I got to do everything I wanted while here in my last portion of the trip and can leave feeling content. Mostly the rest of the afternoon will be spent packing and taking pictures of my neighborhood before having our favorite dinner of veggie burgers and leaving at 6:30 for the airport.

Sadly Sam and I are the only ones leaving today so we are having to leave behind many good friends that we met here, especially Amy and Kasey. The four of us are planning many future excursions together so I hope they all become realities. Kasey and Amy are both staying another week and then travelling to Zanzibar so I am so jealous that their trips are not over yet and wish more than anything I could stay with them. Today while packing we all traded articles of clothing to keep something of each others which made me think that our friendships are real enough to survive once we leave here as well. I keep hoping today that for some reason I will have to stay longer because of the weather or plane failure or something. Wishful hoping I know, but cant help it.

Overall, as dramatic as it may sound, my experience in Tanzania has been life-changing. I have never felt so fully immersed in a culture, nor have I felt like I was actually giving back a the community like this before. I have learned that people here are so welcoming and friendly and really do appreciate the work of volunteers. I really believe that I will keep my ties with not only the people I have met in my CCS group but also the local friends I have made. This trip has definitely confirmed for me that my passions lie within finding out about new cultures and having experiences such as these. I also really believe that I will be back to Moshi very soon and maybe even next summer. I am also so happy that is has given me the connection with KIWODEA and that I can continue giving back to Moshi by working as their intern at home. All in all this trip has taught me so much and has been unforgettable.