Gratitude

Photo cred Charlotte Sorensen

I’ve been in Tanzania for almost seven weeks now, and though I’m a little ashamed to admit it, homesickness is hitting me pretty hard.

In the second month of my stay, I’ve discovered that living and working in Africa is an entirely different thing than being just a tourist, when everything is new and exciting. The novelty of Africa has worn off. I’ve been on my safari, I’ve climbed my mountain, I’ve bargained at the Masai market, I’ve swam in the crystal clear pools at the maji moto, I’ve crammed myself into a crowded dala dala and navigated through the streets of Arusha every day to get to work. Being in Tanzania is no longer a vacation, this is real life. And it’s not always fun. But I wanted that life-changing mind-opening other-worldly reborn again kind of experience; I think I got it.

Last week was a low point for me. I don’t have a lot to write about, because I spent most of the week very sick and miserable in bed with food poisoning, and the worst stomach pain of my life. I’m happy to report that after several days of heavy pills, disgusting hydration drinks and lots of rest, I am feeling much better now. I went back to work on Monday this week.

In an effort to not make this blog post one big complaint about Africa, I’ve decided to focus instead on the extreme sense of gratitude and appreciation living and working in Tanzania has given me. It’s hard to truly understand how good you have it until you experience first-hand how the rest of the world lives. Tanzania is one of the world’s poorest countries, with more than half the population living on less than $2 a day. Disease and poverty are widespread. Technology and quality healthcare suffer at the expense of more critical needs such as food and housing. The economy depends heavily on agriculture, though very little of the land is suitable for farming. Judging by these facts alone, life sounds pretty bleak for Tanzania.

Yet, despite all these hardships, Tanzanians are genuinely happy people. “Tanzanian Hospitality” is known all over the world. Though they have very little, they are always welcoming and friendly, inviting you to their home for chai and to meet their family. People on the street greet you constantly; perfect strangers want to know how your day is going and how your family is doing. They go out of their way to make sure you are happy and comfortable in their country. They are prideful people and traditional culture is well celebrated. Relationships are of the upmost importance. Tanzanians have mastered the art of enjoying life just as it is, being perfectly happy and thankful for what they have, no matter how little.

If Tanzanians can be this appreciative of the life they’ve been given, so can I.

In light of this, I’ve begun keeping a list of all the things I’m thankful for in my journal, and adding to it every day. I know it sounds really corny, but it helps a lot with the homesickness and keeps the depression away. Once I started writing everything down, I quickly realized how many things I have to feel good about. It’s a very long list, but I’d like to share with you some of the highlights.

I wouldn’t blame you if you would rather skip over this part and get to the good pictures of the Maji Moto…..but maybe, just maybe, reading this will encourage you to practice a little more gratitude in your own life. Trust me, it feels great.

Laura’s Gratitude List (the short version)

1.)    I am thankful to have a truly incredible family who would do anything for me. My mom and dad have never failed to be supportive of me throughout my life. They have pushed me and encouraged me every step of the way, given me opportunities they never had. The same is true of my grandparents. Thank you.

My family. Photo cred Roxanne Russel

2.)    I am thankful for the very close relationship I have with my dad. We have always shared a connection through our love of running, something he inspired in me from a very young age. I’m proud to say that with my dad’s support, I ran my first marathon at age 14 (some might call this child abuse, but I promise you it was 100% my idea). I’m thankful that even as he gets older, he is still in good enough health to kick my 22-year-old ass on the track. My dad is the most resourceful, hard-working, inventive, creative, inspirational, self-sacrificing, intelligent, crazy man I know. And I love him to death.

At the finish of the Las Vegas Marathon, December 2010

3.)    I am thankful to have a mother who I feel like I can tell anything to. We share a love for adventure and travel. Some of my fondest memories of my mom are on our past family vacations to Hawaii. I have never seen her happier than when she is snorkeling with the fish, and she turns giddy like a little kid in the botanical garden. My mom has an appreciation for nature and the outdoors that many people will never know. I love how passionate she is in her garden, a hobby I hope will one day carry over to me. And have you seen my mom play tennis? Be very afraid.

At the top of Bishops's Peak, Mother's Day

4.)    I am thankful to have a beautiful and intelligent little sister, who will be starting computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon in the fall, one of the best programs in the nation (she turned down Purdue, Cornell, and UCLA, among many others). She has such a great future ahead of her, and I’m so excited to see what she becomes.

5.)    I am thankful to have a boyfriend who is also my best friend. I could go on and on about Andy, but to summarize, I cannot imagine life without him.

Andy

6.)    I am thankful to be attending a great engineering school, and succeeding in a challenging field I never imagined I would survive. It was hard work, but it’s almost over, and having an EE degree already has opened endless doors of opportunity for me. Thanks again dad. You told me I could do it. Touché.

7.)    I am thankful for my good health and youth. I’m thankful for my strong body that can carry me 26.2 miles in a marathon, or to the top of Mt. Meru. I’m thankful that I can run, jump, swim, climb, lift, and everything in between, that I can push my physical limits to the extreme. So many people aren’t so lucky. It’s great to feel ALIVE!

8.)    I am thankful to live in a beautiful place, in a nice home. I’m convinced that there is no better place to live than the California Coast.

Another day in Paradise. Memorial Day at Avila Beach, CA

9.)    I am thankful for my dogs.

10.) I am thankful for my many friends and all the wonderful people I’ve met throughout my life, with whom I’ve shared many laughs, experiences, and adventures.

11.)  I am thankful that great fresh food is easily accessible, in overwhelming variety, and I can afford to walk into a large grocery store in America (this is quite the novelty, there are no real grocery stores in Tanzania), by any food I could ever want, and cook a delicious meal for myself. This is one of the things I am missing most in Africa.

12.)  I am thankful that I live in an area where I can walk outside my door, turn on my GPS watch, and run alone, where ever my heart desires, without worrying about be attacked or kidnapped or robbed. Another thing I’m really missing here.

13.)  I am thankful for well-enforced traffic laws, maintained roads and safe/ reliable transportation.

14.)  I am thankful that I have access to affordable, high-quality healthcare.

15.)  I am thankful that I’ve always lived within a short driving distance to the beach.

16.)  I am thankful for hot showers and toilets you can sit on.

17.)  I am thankful that my parents don’t choose who I marry, for the fine price of 10 cows and 5 goats. Arranged marriages suck.

18.)  I am thankful to live in the land of opportunity. I strongly believe that in America, if you are truly willing to work hard, and I mean REALLY work hard, you will be successful and achieve anything. It might take a long time, and some people might have to work harder than others, but the possibility is always there. Unfortunately, that sense of possibility and endless opportunity is lacking in Africa. For the first time in my life, I feel like I can say this and really mean it: God bless the USA.

19.)  I am thankful that I have a long, wonderful, happy life ahead of me. I’m thankful for the blank slate, the opportunity to determine and control my own destiny. My life is mine and mine alone.  

And now, for pictures of the Maji Moto (“hot water”).

Photo Cred Inka Johnson & Tugce Capraz