A Walk To Remember

So I haven't posted a blog in a while because in my mind I don't believe I have done anything eventful since I have arrived in Tanzania. My schedule is the following Mon-Fri:

Wake up 7:40am
Throw 5 shirts out of my wardrobe to find one
Find one of the two pants I brought
Tie my mosquito net up
Make my bed
Go to the kitchen table for Chai time (drink tea) -8:00am
Eat breakfast with Dad and Mom since kids are on holiday and they sleep later than any child should.
Tell dad were late to leave- 8:25
Arrive at school, which starts at 8:30 - 8:45
Try to speak Swahili
Try to listen to someone speaking to me in Swahili
Lunch-12:30
Gym, yes a GYM with 2 treadmills, 2 stairmasters, 2 bikes, a whole bunch of machines, free weights etc. -1:20
Language Partners (Tues&Thurs) -1:30
Content class 1:30 (Fri)
Try to facetime someone that loves me back home in the States
THEN
Walk home -1:45/4:00 (depending on the day)

Today was the first day that I felt like my rough and repeatative daily schedule is not to shabby! After I walked through security, got my bags searched and signed out, I walked as if I was walking my typical route back home via the sidewalk made from dust a rickety bridge, speedy cars and the occasional 18 wheeler 1 foot away from my side.

But. I decided to take a picture of some monkeys sitting in a tree, which led me to find a beautiful creek equipped with appropriate stepping stones. I did what no one should do alone, in a Forrest, in a foreign country. I decided to follow these steps which led to a pathway.

I felt like Alice in Wonderland minus the really sketchy caterpillar, or maybe it's Dorthy? Honestly I'm not up to date with my scenes from Disney Movies. Anyways I came out of the creek and walked into a field of corn! It was so beautiful because the blue sky met the top of the stalks perfectly.

The path continued through the field of corn and into an empty field where I had an amazing view of Mt. Meru. A view selfies later I spotted the Njeree's Bistro/Club (you couldn't miss the large blue mansion in a row of one level brick houses).

Only seconds later I hear my name being called by atleast 7 children "FARIDA FARIDA!!!" (My swahili name which is suppose to mean strong woman). I wasnt even passed the gate of my house when I was hugged by all sorts of little bodies and hands from the neighborhood.

Here is a little peak into what I briefly tried to explain- because a picture is worth a thousand words and I don't have the thumb muscle to write that many!

#HUMPDAY

Is it really only HUMPDAY? This past week has been filled with tickets, lines and seats. Since Sunday, I have sucessfully traveled to a country half-way around the world, equipped with loving people, drug-free chickens, the presence of malaria and a 7 hour time difference. The beautiful country of Tanzania, located in East Africa.

Prior to landing in the Cradle of Life, I flew to more countries than most people are able to visit in a life time. Why you may ask? Because the travel agent hates me and never analyzed the phrase "time is money." From Washington, I hopped over the Atlantic Ocean to Germany followed by an unpleasant, yet adventurous 18 hour layover (dont let people fool you, the beer and bratwursts get old quick). After I managed to find my way back to the airport I sat in seat B36 for 8 hours (with a teething baby). This time my plane landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At that point I felt like that red pin you can drop if you're fortunate enough to own an iPhone 4, 4s, 5, 5c, 6, 6plus (I'll save my iPhone rant for another post). Nevertheless I am confident Ethiopia is a beautiful country, but I did not have the opportunity to see past the hundreds of confused travelers in the Addis Ababa International Airport that day. When I tried, I found that I was surrounded by glass windows, at that point I no longer felt like a red pin. Instead I found myself developing a strong relation to Nemo (the fish that was finally found). Having seen the film, Finding Nemo, I realized that dropping a college student in a foreign county is very similar to dropping a fish into a 10 gallon fish tank after shaking the poor creature in one of those plastic bags you get from Petsmart. For those that do not understand this analogy, I was in shock, culture shock. But life goes on.

As my life does, I routinely "check-in" with my mother, father, boyfriend, boyfriend's mother etc., especially when I am in a region of the world that is covered by CNN headlines around the clock (given Ethiopia's friendly neighbors). I have learned throughout my time abroad, "checking-in" is actually very difficult. My experience in Addis Ababa was nothing short of my past experiences but a little more irritating. "Oh you want to use WiFi?" Yes, yes I do... or so I thought. In order to use Wifi I was first required to make a $10USD purchase at a store and or resturant. I would have loved to pay $10USD, I was tierd, hungry, hopeless and I knew a familiar voice was priceless. Unfortunately, because our flight arrived earlier than the banker wished to work (8:30am) and the ATM was out of order, my need to sleep, my hunger and hopelessness grew stronger, but not my patience. Not willing to break the B. Franklin I brought to receive the greatest exchange rate for shilings (most bang for my buck(s)). I slept on the tile for the next 5 hours before my final departure to Tanzania.

However, that was not the only time I fell asleep. I managed to fall asleep, mouth-open, face to face with the table of a local sportsbar in Frankfort, Germany, while attempting to watch the Manchester United futbol match. When I try to beat myself up about sleeping in public my actions seem to be validated given the whole idea of an 18 hour layover after a 7 hour red-eye flight with... you guessed it, no sleep. In my defense, it should be noted I sought out to find the USO (safe haven for U.S. military and families in some international airports) but, of course it was "under reconstruction." So much for "We support our Troops". At this point I had come to far to disrupt my unique talent for sleeping in public, therefore, I managed to take up an entire row of seats at Gate C105, for 3 hours with the help of several mg of Melatonin. On a positive note, I am one of the few and proud to say I avoided jetlag and I landed safely!