First of Many

Salamu! (Greetings!)

This is my first blog post! To say I am excited would be an understatement. I’m not necessarily excited about THIS post aside from the fact that it will be the first of many in the weeks to come. I will be leaving for Tanzania in approximately:

 

WAIT…. WHAT??? It’s that close??…

I’m sorry. I got a bit sidetracked. I have been looking forward to this trip since last August, and now it is literally 16 days away from becoming a reality. If you’re reading this right now, I can tell you what I know so far, and as more information becomes available to me from Cross Cultural Solutions (the Organization I am volunteering with) I will keep updating you!

Here’s what I know I will be doing while in Moshi – city near the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro – for the month of June:

-I will be working with children in some capacity.

-I will be living in a house with as many as 30 other like-minded individuals (For those who know me, this idea may seem…well…SCARY).

-I will probably spill a liquid of some sort every day. (Momma almost named me “Grace,” after all).

What I hope to do/accomplish while in Moshi:

-I hope I influence a child in a positive way. I hope I make someone smile. I hope I can in some small way make a difference in the life of someone else.

-I hope I make lifelong friends from all of those like-minded individuals I mentioned a above. After all, we will be LIVING together. That fact alone makes us friends or sworn enemies from the start. I’m personally hoping for friends.

-I hope I return from Tanzania with a better idea of who I am. I don’t necessarily mean this in a “what does it all mean? What is life?” kind of way. More like a “what will you do in your life that you’re proud of”  and a “stand firm in your beliefs and be independent” kind of idea about myself. You follow?

-I hope I don’t spill too many liquids. That is wasteful and annoying. I spilt coffee on my first day of work and I have never lived that down. I won’t let this turn into the same type of situation.

-I hope I pick up on some Swahili. I’m studying now and my favorite expression thus far is “lala salama” which means “goodnight.” (NOT Salami, like my roommate initially thought).

-I hope my desire to help others will not be thwarted by my humanistic tendency toward materialism, laziness, and selfishness. I want this trip to be about OTHERS and what they need.

-And finally, I hope to go on a safari, not get trampled by elephants, and return with more perspective, more life experiences, and more insight so that I may encourage those around me to wander around the world in search of peace, of justice, of a better world, or of a better self.

As the great Jimi Hendrix once said: “In order to change the world, you have to get YOUR head together first.”

Tutaonana!

Halie

P.S. I hope that you will continue with me on my journey! I will be posting as often as five times a week while in Tanzania. Feel free to tell your friends about my blog! WOOHOO!