Strangers Like Me

Bumpudy bump bump over the hills I go.
Bumpudy bump bump to Mbeya I go.

I am writing this while on the Super-Feo Express bus from Songea to Mbeya. I am glad to be here considering African Time was taken to the limit in getting me here. Ha!

I had planned for the monks of Hanga to drive me and my luggage to Msamala Stand at 9:00AM so I would have plenty of time to board and get myself situated on the bus. They do this for all volunteers as they leave. Br. Ambrose picked me up and took me at 10:00AM. The bus left at 11:00AM.

He was a fast driver which was probably the deciding factor, but he first had to wash the car (which was interesting considering we travel on a dirt road for 45 minutes), pick up another brother, drop that brother off in town and then take me to the stand. We were lucky to have made it.

I grabbed my luggage, chucked it under the bus and sat down in my seat. The bus pulled away from the stand two minutes later. Phew!

The beginning of my trip has already been more intense than I was hoping. Ha! I made it, though.

Like I have said before, it is important to plan ahead while traveling in Africa. There are many reasons why this is good, but one obvious reason is because there is a good chance you will miss your ride.

Once on the bus one of the staff members makes their way around checking bus tickets. They do this after the bus is moving rather than before.

Most buses usually have a man who preaches and prays for a number of miles in the beginning of the ride. They will stand in the aisle and scream (yes, scream) their message. Some scream so much that they must place their prayer book over their mouth so spit does not come flying out. No joke. Some aren't so bad, but there are a few who are. It's all in Kiswahili so it is hard for me to follow.

As with all of Africa, there are many vendors selling food on the side of the road. It is fall here in Tanzania (a warm fall) and pumpkins are in season. The driver of the bus I am currently on just pulled over, got out and bought 15 pumpkins. I am sure some of the passengers will buy a number of them from him.

Finally, people love to honk their horns in Africa. They love it. There are many people traveling by foot on the side of the road so it is done partly to alert them, but I believe they just enjoy honking as well.

Traveling can be tiring and a bit stressful, however there are three things I have learned from doing so. They all work together to make the experience better. The three are: stay calm, go with the flow and trust. Staying calm is a big part because it is easy to freak out. All of your luggage is stuffed underneath the bus, you are cramped and it is hard to see where to get off the bus because it is an all day excursion which means it is dark by the time you reach your destination (there are multiple stops). Going with the flow helps with overcoming obstacles that you are guaranteed to come across. You just have to go with it. Finally, trusting everything will work out is always a great thing. It is important to remember everything works out in the end.

So now that I have left Hanga I have Europe to look forward to. I am excited. Time for some fun traveling with some great friends. My friends, Adam and Jamie, will be waiting for me at the airport. They will take a ferry across the channel with their friend Tom so we have a car. We will spend time in the Netherlands and make our way back across the channel on the 17th. Adam has a tour lined up which will be a lot of fun. We will also be resting in Manchester for a number of days while Adam takes care of some work.

Then, come June 3rd, Air Force JMK (more like IcelandAir...if only I was president!) will touch down in the evening hours at MSP International Airport after a quick layover in Iceland.

Leaving Hanga was a bit tough because I had to say goodbye to so many wonderful people, especially my sisters. I held it together, though, and completed the rounds of goodbyes and then packed my luggage.

I will stay in Mbeya for the next three days and on Tuesday I'll take a regional airline, FastJet, to Dar. In the evening I'll depart Dar for Nairobi, Kenya on Kenya Airways. Then, at midnight, I will board a KLM flight bound for Amsterdam. where I will pass customs (hopefully smoothly) and proceed to my Europe trip. I am also hoping all of my luggage makes it on time.

I am excited to start getting back to my old self. Throw the earring back in, put the backwards hat back on the head, the converse on my feet and bring the relaxed and cool personality to full throttle. It will be nice.

What a wonderful experience this year has been and I have many people to thank. Many of us, upon successfully completing a task, like to think we have done it all on our own. I know that is not the case for me. The support I have received from my family and friends has been tremendous. You all are what has allowed me to fulfill my work. Thank you.

Being alone was tough at times, but it did have its perks. I do feel I have made stronger and deeper connections with others because I was alone. It forced and created many friendships because if I did not have any it would have been a lonely year. I am glad to have made them.

The sisters were telling me how they loved my attitude and how happy I always was. I laugh because I was happy due to things such as their friendships. A great blessing.

As I ride the bus I have been listening to music and Phil Collins came on. Obviously my parents have greatly influenced my music selection. I spoke about Phil in my last post, but the song that came on was different. This one was titled "Strangers Like Me" which I believe was created for the movie Tarzan which was produced by Disney.

A great song to have come on. It speaks about wanting to know more about the world and the strangers like ourselves. Strangers like ourselves? Yes, because even though the people I have met this year have been strangers I have learned to embrace our differences and in doing so I have learned that we are alike in more ways than I previously thought. A beautiful realization.

There is so much out there and I love getting to know it more and more.

This will be my last post from the African continent. I hope to post while in Europe. I will do my best to do so. Depending on how smooth customs goes and the timing of Adam in picking me up I will decide on whether or not to post Wednesday. If he is there waiting then it probably won't work. If he is running behind schedule then there should be a blog.

I have arrived safely in Mbeya. I got off at the correct stop and Br. Odo was there to meet me. He told me that he recently met a Peace Corps Volunteer from Minnesota who is staying in the area. He is going to try and have us meet up. In addition, I have a friend, Romanos, who lives here and so I will meet with him as well. Finally, I have seen many women wearing the traditional dress of the Massai tribe. It is beautiful and looks as if there are a number of cloths overlaying one another. I really like it. Br. Odo said we can go to a shop and look at them. I obviously don't want one for myself, but it would be cool to go and look at them closer. It should be a nice and relaxing few days before Europe.

Once again, thank you to all of you for keeping up with me, following my experience and supporting me every step of the way. I love all of you!

Though, I do suppose we all have our favorites, right? I do and even though I have met many people throughout my journeys she is the most amazing one of all. I love you, Mom! Thank you for having always been there for me. I cannot tell you how much it means to me. As one of our favorite bands, The Backstreet Boys, say "Mom, you always were the perfect fan." Thank you for being mine. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

The link to an amazing song. The Perfect Fan by the Backstreet Boys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE9VmQZefWI

Thanks for reading!