April 29th marked the sixth month anniversary of my arrival in Mozambique. Hard to believe that it’s gone by so quickly. Living here is like living in a completely different world. I have adjusted to the way of life here, and sometimes it is hard to remember how I used to live. Like taking hot showers; having boneless, skinless chicken readily available; or that eggs in the states can be white. I wanted to list some of my most memorable moments so far:
-My first day arriving in Namaacha and all the host moms dancing into the gym singing a welcome song. It was such a moment—the singing was amazing and it was my first “Holy s—t I’m in Africa” moments
-Being stuck in Maputo for an extra day after swear-in and successfully negotiating Maputo. After the first time and being so overwhelmed by everything, the second time we spent going to the Museum of Natural History and tracking down Thai food and ice cream successfully. It was a great time of relaxation and a great way to celebrate officially becoming a volunteer.
-Waking up to my first Christmas morning without my family to a drawn-up Christmas tree hanging on the wall with our homemade stockings strung above it and our white elephant gifts laid out below. It was the best Christmas away from home one could ask for.
-Officially bonding with my roommate over our spider-ridden house. We didn’t know each other well and our shared opinion on cleanliness made me feel like we’d get along just fine over the next two years.
-The two days of travel hitching back from Chimoio to Angonia. The first ride was in a semi-truck and I spent it chatting with the driver about AIDS in America and discussing all sorts of different cultural aspects between here and there. Then my second ride on my own and completely missing my classes due to the loading of 400 lbs of bananas in the middle of nowhere along the way, the entire time not caring because the sky was so beautiful.
-Making a friend with a Portuguese professor who makes me feel like we’ve known each other forever. This also helped make Angonia feel like home and quieted my urge to travel and visit other volunteers every weekend.
At times it feels like I’ve been here forever and others it seems like just yesterday I was waking up late for my plane and struggling with my giant bags through 3 different airports. Its been an amazing trip so far with many more life-changing moments to come, I’m sure.
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