It’s been almost a week since I've found myself back home. Since my last entry there were a few unpredicted events that made my decision of coming home easier to make. Arriving home a little earlier then my return date was also not planned! Having made it to 7 weeks with no sickness was pretty impressive for me lol. But it crept up behind me and got me just when things were getting rather interesting. I didn’t enjoy the hospital visits and the needles (even though the Africans have very strict processes in place now when needles are involved!) in my last week and i think it was a good decision to get my ass back home. That meant turning down one or two opportunities to stay and work out there, I feel this was not the right time or place in my life. Although the difficulty in crossing the border into Tanzania may have been a last chance to change my mind- especially when the immigration weren’t allowing me to leave Tanzania and enter Kenya to fly home!!! It’s a good job I kept my kool and had my wits about me as I just about got away with it. This made me think that I could survive out here and experience staying out here for a longer period.
Coming home was somewhat an emotional journey, one full of mixed feelings. I was really upset about leaving the Mama and friends behind but at the same time so excited to see my brother Sid, family and friends again. It was also sad to say goodbye to all the individuals who I’d worked with and helped in the last 7 weeks. They appeared really anxious and concerned that my time had come to an end with them and the small business projects. I still felt my work was not complete and there was still so much i could do to help build and better their lives.
On my never ending journey home I realised there would never have been 'a right time to come home' and it would be hard in any case. But I have found contentment in taking my journey for everything it was and what I made of it.
After all it was initially a dream to one day head to Africa and help make some sort of a difference. The media portrays certain images and accounts of east Africa but to experience and witness it myself opened my mind and allowed me to be flexible in my thinking. Out of all my travelling adventures and expeditions this really tested me in terms of how far I can take myself out of my comfort zone in a 3rd world country. The most valuable thing I’ve learnt about myself is if I find something standing in my way or path now I’d be able to take a step back and follow my gut instinct. In the past I’ve had a tendency to fight it, make it mean or be something else. I now understand that there will be times when I won’t be able to understand certain events, instances and people. So instead of wasting time searching and bringing me to my knees I should see everything for what it is not what is was or could be in the future. Because I am actually wasting my dreams on reflection. I need tol take all of my dreams and look to make them come true because I was born in this world. This world allowed me to fulfil this opportunity in the first place, it is this world that makes me fortunate to have the life I have in comparison to those who I crossed paths with in Africa. In my journey, I witnessed how other people in this world can in turn affect the way of life of others through the leadership, power and control they have. Tanzania as I saw it, is one of those place where the consequences of this leadership are distressing. How did this make me feel? sad at the fact that this isn’t anything new and annoyed that this is just the way of the world and how it works in certain parts. To try and change this needs more than just one person, it requires a group of people a large group of people and I hope the future will allow me to be part of a large group and change things.
The most priceless feeling I found in Africa was love, love for a 2nd family and admiration and compassion for the people who I crossed paths with. That is something that will always stay with me and made this trip simply incredible.
Coming home was somewhat an emotional journey, one full of mixed feelings. I was really upset about leaving the Mama and friends behind but at the same time so excited to see my brother Sid, family and friends again. It was also sad to say goodbye to all the individuals who I’d worked with and helped in the last 7 weeks. They appeared really anxious and concerned that my time had come to an end with them and the small business projects. I still felt my work was not complete and there was still so much i could do to help build and better their lives.
On my never ending journey home I realised there would never have been 'a right time to come home' and it would be hard in any case. But I have found contentment in taking my journey for everything it was and what I made of it.
After all it was initially a dream to one day head to Africa and help make some sort of a difference. The media portrays certain images and accounts of east Africa but to experience and witness it myself opened my mind and allowed me to be flexible in my thinking. Out of all my travelling adventures and expeditions this really tested me in terms of how far I can take myself out of my comfort zone in a 3rd world country. The most valuable thing I’ve learnt about myself is if I find something standing in my way or path now I’d be able to take a step back and follow my gut instinct. In the past I’ve had a tendency to fight it, make it mean or be something else. I now understand that there will be times when I won’t be able to understand certain events, instances and people. So instead of wasting time searching and bringing me to my knees I should see everything for what it is not what is was or could be in the future. Because I am actually wasting my dreams on reflection. I need tol take all of my dreams and look to make them come true because I was born in this world. This world allowed me to fulfil this opportunity in the first place, it is this world that makes me fortunate to have the life I have in comparison to those who I crossed paths with in Africa. In my journey, I witnessed how other people in this world can in turn affect the way of life of others through the leadership, power and control they have. Tanzania as I saw it, is one of those place where the consequences of this leadership are distressing. How did this make me feel? sad at the fact that this isn’t anything new and annoyed that this is just the way of the world and how it works in certain parts. To try and change this needs more than just one person, it requires a group of people a large group of people and I hope the future will allow me to be part of a large group and change things.
The most priceless feeling I found in Africa was love, love for a 2nd family and admiration and compassion for the people who I crossed paths with. That is something that will always stay with me and made this trip simply incredible.
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