The rest of our day was very mundane. We spent the rest of the time in the airport sleeping and waiting for our flight to Tanzania. On the flight I sat next to Erin who goes to school at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. She tells me about her reasons for going on SFS, her life at home and why there is a picture of her brother on her water bottle. I open my book and read for the rest of the flight.
Forty five minutes later we are in Tanzania and need to go through customs. With little difficulty, we have finally finished our airplane travels and are greeted by Erica, the student affairs coordinator for SFS. We board our Toyota Land Cruisers and make our way to Arusha where we will sleep for the night before we head to our field station. Christina and I joke around for a bit in the car before I pass out. At the hotel, I get to my room and fall face first on my bed and will not wake up until 3 A.M. Hot, sweaty and smelly, I decide that I should take a shower. Expecting to be blasted by cold water, I am delighted to see a hot water faucet. I take a quick shower, brush my teeth and head back to bed.
Luke and I wake up within minutes of each other at 6 A.M. I take a few pictures of our hotel, pack my bag and head downstairs to meet the rest of the group for breakfast. We eat eggs, coffee, fresh watermelon and a delicious Watermelon, Tomato and Mango beverage (seriously, it’s unreal). Our driver and counselor for the trip, Moses, watches me take out my enormous pill bag and jokes that I could start my own pharmacy downtown. After finishing the meal, we board our Toyota’s and head west to our field station. Getting out of Arusha was downright tedious. Traffic weaves in and out of one another and people are constantly running through traffic. An ambulance had to make way and cut a small lane in the center of the road where 15 cars would follow in attempt to shorten their drive to wherever they were going. Eventually the traffic thinned and we began our journey. The air smells cleans, the landscapes are breathtaking. Flat plains surround us and in the distance mountains that seem to reach the heavens paint a picture too beautiful for words to describe. We pass coffee fields, eucalyptus trees and locals attending to their livestock (mostly goats and cattle). The houses begin to dwindle and soon everything that one would find in civilization vanishes. Houses become mud huts, pants, t-shirts and shoes become linen and sandals and so much more. We are about 20 minutes away from the camp when we finally see our first taste of true African Wildlife. In the bush, about 100 meters away from the road, a giraffe is grazing on shrubs and trees. There are 3 other cars and tourists taking photos. We jump out and take our first peak. Then, another giraffe pops out and then another. It takes everyone’s breath away. It hits us that we are really here and that this adventure will be stamped in our memories for the rest of our lives.
We get back into the car and begin to travel through the local towns. All seem very run down, but there is one thing that keeps these towns thriving, happiness. Everyone we see is smiling and enjoying their life. We are in one of the poorest countries of the world, but they are wealthy in happiness, and when people are happy, nothing else really matters. I hope to learn from them this important life lesson.
We finally arrive at the field station and are greeted by all the staff. We take a tour of the our new home, and spend the rest of the afternoon playing cards, getting to know one another and learning a bit of Swahili. At 4:30, we make our way to Moyo Hill, a 25 minute hike where we can see miles upon miles of Tanzania. It is a bit depressing when I first look. There are pockets of thick bush surrounded by an abundance of barren terrain. Years ago, these barren places would have been flourishing with trees. We are in Tanzania for that reason. We are here to learn how to find the balance between letting the people of Tanzania thrive as well as the ecosystems. We are here to bring harmony to a damaged ecosystem. We make our way back to the camp, eat dinner and hang out for the rest of the night. When the sun sets, we are surrounded by the stars. It is magical. The sky is illuminated with little white specs. More so than in rural Wisconsin, Israel, Palm Springs or any place I have ever been. Once again, my breath is taken away. Tired and exhausted, I go to sleep.
We wake up at 7 the next morning and go for a run. None of us are used to the elevation and within seconds we are all panting for air. Hopefully, by the time we are headed to Kenya, my lungs will not have a problem with the elevation. We get back, eat breakfast and hang out anxiously awaiting the arrival of the delayed group (the ones who got snowed-in in Newark). They arrive and we are finally all here. We introduce ourselves and have orientation. We head to the local village and see what there is to see. It is run down and everyone is looking at us. However, everyone is smiling and happy. I want to learn so badly what they know so well. We wander around for 20 minutes and make our way back to our new home where I am sitting now writing this journal entry.
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