This Is Not the End

Today is Departure Day. Today I make that plunge back in the the fast-pace, materialistic world that was once the only thing I knew.  Today marks the end of my time in Tanzania but not the end of the things I am learning nor the last time I will see this land.

Though I have had my hardships, I have enjoyed my year in Tanzania.  I have learned so many things being in a different culture.  Traveling is a great way to learn about new people and places, but to really understand others you have to be immersed in their culture.  I am by no means an expert in anything Tanzanian, but I now have a greater understanding of other people and cultures.  I think the most important things I’ve learned are not things specifically about Tanzania but the things you learn when you are in a different culture: not understanding what is happening, feeling excluded, and being uncomfortable.  Perhaps it would be good for all of us to experience these things once in our lifetimes.  Maybe then we could understand each other better and respect all of humanity. 

There are many things I love about Tanzania that I will miss: the people I’ve met, the landscapes, the sunsets, the marketplace, phone plans, the mountain and many more things.  Of course there are also things that I won’t miss (being stared at, the tendency of things to break, being charged the mzungu price) but these things are generally out weighed.  All in all, I’m grateful for this experience (even the bad parts).

Even though I’m traveling back to America today, this is not the end.  Keep coming back for tales of re-assimilation until I tell you ‘This is the End’.