Sunday evening I arrived in Madison. Leaving Austin was a really, really difficult thing to do because I’ve fallen in love with the city and the people there. I could go on for hours about how amazing of a place it is and how interesting and beautiful the people are, but this blog isn’t the place for it. My leaving was so difficult for me because I realized it was the first time I had to say goodbye permanently — prior to this past weekend, every time I have left something or someone it was only for a determined period of time; there was always an end, a return, in sight. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to Austin. I love it there, I thrive there, there’s so much energy there, but there are so many other places I want to experience. Portland. San Francisco. Denver. Amherst. Washington, DC. Montreal. Toronto. Sydney. Amsterdam. Stockholm. Paris. And more.
Being in Madison is comfortable. Madison is my hometown and I will always think of it as my home. With two years of unknown events, people, and experiences lingering, home is where I need to be right now. And it feels good. I depart next Wednesday morning, leaving me six full days left in Madison, part of which will be spent with my two best friends in Chicago, part of which will be spent with my friends in Madison, and part of which will be spent with my extended family. Six days isn’t enough to do what I want here, but it’s all I’ve got.
Seven days from now I’ll be in Philadelphia for Staging, and nine days from now I’ll be in Tanzania. We arrive in Dar and stay at a hostel for one week before heading to nearby Morogoro for nine weeks of community-based training where we break off into smaller, more manageable groups and each stay with a Tanzanian family. Morogoro is 200 km east of Dar and in travel time that could mean anywhere from a three to a six hour bus ride. I’ll know more information about my host family once I arrive in Dar, but I was sent a short questionnaire asking about certain characteristics including my dietary preferences, my level of comfort sharing a room, my thoughts on living with children, and my personality traits so Peace Corps staff could match me with an appropriate family. Our homestays are intended to serve as a bridge from one culture to another; it is a way for us to slowly adapt and learn to live like a Tanzanian from people who understand we are brand new to the country and absolutely clueless in even the most basic of behaviors and daily functions. I will have to learn how to speak to people, how to behave, how to cook meals, how to use a choo, and how to set up a mosquito net. I will learn the customs for attending weddings and funerals, and how to shop for necessities at the market. All the while learning to speak Kiswahili 24 hours a day.
For me, Kiswahili lessons have already begun. It’s part of how I prepare myself for this: if I already know a bit of the language I’ll have a heads up and a bit more confidence in those initial weeks, even if the only thing I can remember to say is ndizi katika kikapu which will only help me when I want to purchase an entire basket of bananas. Yes, Dad, I also learned to say “Where is the bathroom?” which is as simple as wapi choo?
In addition to cross-cultural training and language, PST modules focus on technical training, personal health, and safety training. Current Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) visit Morogoro each week and we all spend one week shadowing a PCV to get a feel for what our future lives will be like. After nine weeks of training, we are officially sworn in as PCVs on November 24, the day before Thanksgiving. So when you’re all sitting around the dinner table enjoying the company and feast inherent in my favorite day of the year, think of me as I’m traveling through Tanzania to my new home until November 2012. You may be eating a turkey with your family but I’ll also be in the company of poultry and many people, though mine will more likely be in the back of a pickup truck crammed with 20 strangers and 12 chickens.
At this point everything is nzuri sana, very good, a Tanzanian’s response to nearly every question. I’m not feeling terribly nervous anymore but am rather quite calm as I enjoy the last of my days in the States for a while. I’ve received a few immunizations but will receive more in-country, and I’ve stopped religiously studying Kiswahili and reading too many books on development in Tanzania so that I may spend more time relaxing and enjoying myself. I spend some time every day packing and unpacking, and it’s actually quite exciting because I feel like I’m going on an extended camping trip (and I do love camping trips). Packing begun long ago, before I moved away from Austin, but it’s an arduous task that I’m not planning to finish until two days before I leave (okay, maybe the day before).
All in all… everything is nzuri sana.
