Saying Goodbyes

The taxi pulled up at 1am. I gathered my belongings and turned to hug my family goodbye.
As I pulled away from this small house that I had grown to call home, I began to reflect on these past two months. Over the course of two months I began to take root in Tanzania. Streets that once use to overwhelm me, now felt so calm. People use to stare at me and call out "Mzungu," now speak swahili to me with a friendly smile. The hospital staff know me by name and assign me jobs like one of their own. This country that was once just a mystery to my imagination has become a part of my soul.

Through my work at the hospital I have learned by the "See one, do one, teach one" motto. As I became one of the "old volunteers," it brought me joy to show the new volunteers the ropes at the hospital and watch there nerves slowly break down just as mine had. Saying goodbye to the various hospital staff that I became very close to was one of the saddest moments of the day. As I went from ward to ward taking pictures and saying my goodbyes, I felt genuine joy for the people who had touched my life. Without the work of these people, the poorest of the poor would go without medical care in Tanzania. They could be working at a private hospital, they could be making more money and working with more supplies and better conditions. But instead they work at a government hospital and treat people who seem to have all the odds fighting against them. I know one day I will return here and work side-by-side these men and women.

Through my host family, I have learned the real heart of Tanzanian culture. There were days when I felt like a zoo animal and was so fed up with the way people on the street treated me. But then my host mom, grandma, niece, and sisters would show me how the real heart of Tanzania is made up of people who genuinely care for one another through thick and thin. The night before I left was probably one of my favorite nights at home because the 3 TV channels were all out. So instead we all sat in the living room just talking and laughing. As my sister Carol started to fall asleep, her older sister began switching off all the lights. Then Mama Agata threw a sheet over herself and pretended to be a ghost. Carol awoke screaming and running around the house while we all laughed. It was just simple, pure fun. It was nights doing homework with them, drawing pictures, playing balloon tennis, and tickle fights that I loved the most. It was my Grandma(Bibi) learning how to say Hello and Goodbye in English. It was Mama Agata's chipati and homemade juice. These were the memories I will cherish forever.

My 2nd to last day in Dar was spent with my Young Life family, the Larmeys. They invited me to join their Young Life Africa Committee retreat for the day. My friends Paige, Morgan and Jake from Tallahassee were a part of this committee and it was a real treat to get to see them. We put on an All City Club right across the street from where I live and over 150 kids came. Club was truly astonishing to watch as all of the kids sang and danced to the songs, with no lyrics or sound system or microphone to lead them. They were so full of joy and excitement, it rubbed off on all of us. As I said goodbye to my friends and headed to walk home, many of the committee people asked me if I felt safe walking. This is one of those moments I hope to never forget how I felt exactly right then. I turned and said proudly "Its fine, I'm just walking home." Though I have left Tanzania, it has not left me. A piece of me will always feel at home there. Even through the upsets and  frustrations with the vast differences in culture, I became a little more Tanzanian each and every day. Tanzania will be with me always.