Not in Rwanda this week!

This past week I was in Malawi visiting our very own Michael Bardgett and having a little therapy-by-fun. Do I feel guilty that I've been in Rwanda for only two months and have deemed myself in need of a vacation while people living in much worse conditions and in much worse pain have no escape? Yes, yes I do. But that's not what this update is about. Nope,this update is about fun and under no circumstances am I to write about the g-word, the r-word, or the p-word. Ugh, I have quite the bloody little alphabet soup going on there. But that's Rwanda. And this update is about Malawi: "the warm heart of Africa." Or at least that's what the sign at the airport said. It may just be propaganda, but isn't this whole trip about escaping from reality?

The trip started out with take-your-friend-to-work day, when I had the privilege of visiting a USAID funded project that promotes safe schools through community education and teacher training. We got to hear some students tell their own stories about escaping from forced child marriage, stopping sexual harassment, and resolving conflict amongst themselves. After we finished the first school visit, our host announced, "Well, thanks for coming. We just need to stop by the chief's house to take a picture of his pet monkey Bob and then we'll be off." Gosh, I love Africa.

Then the real vacation began! No more reality for me! I think it was sometime between pancakes in the US Ambassador's gorgeous mountain cabin and sunbathing in a kayak in the middle of a crystal clear lake that I began to wonder if this could actually be my life. In fact just being with a friend was pretty fantastic after a summer of relative isolation. I think I need more people in my life who reply "Atta girl!" when I announce that I'm going to the kitchen to eat another cookie. And for those of you who are keeping track at home, I had my second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh shower of the summer on this trip and all of them were incredible! Actually, it kind of felt like I was drowning at first, but I readjusted quickly.

You know, the only thing that I couldn't really get into on this vacation was how eager people were to serve me. Malawian men did our dishes, washed our car, built us a fire in the fireplace, made us breakfast on the beach, and did just about everything else for us. By the end of my time there, I wanted to wear a sign around my neck that read, "You may be confused because I am traveling with a big wig US
government official (read: intern), but please be advised that I am 23 years old, that I am not even slightly a big deal, and that you don't have to do anything for me." I don't think even that would have dissuaded them though and I suppose I can't really complain that much about someone else doing my dishes. Of course, the other thing I couldn't really get into was flushing toilets--I'm just not used to it! Seriously, I forgot to flush about every other time I went to the bathroom. Sorry if that's too much information for you. Ever since I started peeing in holes in the dirt, my gross-o-meter has gone a little wacky.

Unfortunately my escape from reality had to come to a close, so I said goodbye to Michael at the airport and found a seat to wait with the six other people who had a random reason to travel from Lilongwe to Lusaka. I passed the time by journaling about my awesome vacation and half watching a flickering TV turned to the 700 Club. Pat Robertson was interviewing a couple from Oklahoma who have recently made a fortune buying foreclosed houses, fixing them up, and then reselling them. He concluded the interview by looking into the camera and saying, "Folks, that's what happens when you TRULY believe in God!" Next to me an old Malawian man who sells wood carvings to tourists was leaning against the wall. I started to wonder what he must think of that statement as he squinted up at the screen through his milked over eyes. But you know, I am technically still on vacation and trying to avoid serious thoughts, so I'm going to channel an old Calvin and Hobbes comic strip when Calvin yells, "Careful! We don't want to learn anything from this!" So that's the end of this paragraph. Draw your own conclusions.

In fact, this trip was so good that even the part I thought would be a drag—my overnight layover in Ethiopia—turned out to be fun. After checking into my hostel in Addis Ababa, I asked the owner if there was a restaurant nearby where I could get some good Ethiopian food. She looked horrified and asked, "Are you eating alone?" I shrugged my shoulders, "Well, yeah…" She shook her head and told me that in Ethiopian culture people do not eat alone and asked me to wait a second. She piled her kids into the car and drove me to their favorite restaurant where I shared a giant plate of food with her family, listened to a local singer, and drank super strong Ethiopian coffee. Have I mentioned that I love Africa?

Now, having just moto-ed back into my life in Rwanda, I can't help but feel like I'm coming home. It's bizarre to realize with only a week left that I like it here. I like the people, I like my work, I like the culture... I could make this home. Of course, I can't do that yet, GW is already sending me tuition bills for next semester. What I can do is invest everything I have left for the next week and try to get on the plane with no regrets. This perspective of gratefulness that I have for my last few days is the gift that Malawi has left me with, so I'm going to try not to waste it.