Speed Walking

I have discovered to amazing-ness of slowly meandering while walking instead of American power walking my way all over Africa. Mozambicans walk soooooo slow, which is pretty much how they do everything. As I learned from an early age trying to keep up with my mom, I walk as fast as possible everywhere I go. It was brought to my attention by a local friend that at first he thought I was really mean because I speed walked everywhere and I always had my sunglasses on. Now, I refuse to give up the sunglasses because 1) the sun is INTENSE here and 2) Saleena has me concerned about developing wrinkles from squinting (thanks a lot Today Show). But, after another pair of people here from Cuba commented on my fast-walking I decided to slow it down one day on the way home from school. It was amazing. Kids played with me, adults greeted me and asked who I was, and I was meeting all sorts of new people. Crazy that it could make that big of a difference, but I’m totally embracing it. Now me and my roommate just go out and slowly wander and it has been helping a ton with integration. I don’t know if I’ll ever get down to Mozambican speed, but I’ll try my hardest.