Pepani, Pepani!! I am sorry that it has been so long since I last updated! I felt (and still feel) like I don't have a whole lot to say.
The past month since I last updated has been a tough one for me. I feel like the beginning of November was a lifetime ago. I have done a couple of 180's emotionally- from wanting to stay here for the rest of my life to wanting to go home tomorrow, to being very apathetic about the whole situation. The emotional roller coaster has left me a little drained and without words to say. So pepani! I will do better next time.
Let's see, what have I done this past month.... Despite some difficulties getting off campus/ out of Lilongwe due to fuel issues, it seems that I have been able to get away quite a bit. In the beginning of November I traveled up to Northern Malawi to visit a site where some friends are thinking about starting an orphanage. Northern Malawi is amazing. There are trees EVERYWHERE! And I LOVE trees!!! The contrast between central and northern Malawi is overwhelming. Trees are virtually non-existent in the central region (where I live) due to deforestation. It saddens me to know that that is what Malawi is supposed to look like. It is a shame it doesn't look like that anymore.
Last weekend we truly took advantage of the fuel shortage and traveled around best way we know how- via hitching/ walking/ bike taxi-ing. Some friends of ours live about 20 miles away and agreed to let us spend the night at their farm to get some much needed time away from Lilongwe. We decided to make an adventure out of it and set out on foot with the hopes of finding a ride as we went on. My dreams came true when a truck stopped to pick us up. (It has been a dream of mine to travel a longer distance (longer than the three miles I have already traveled in the back of a truck) standing up in the back of a pickup truck.) You see people doing it all the time here, and whenever someone would pass me in the back of a pickup I would get jealous. So now I can say I have done that too. :-).
I also embarked on my first bike taxi adventure. Bike taxi's are a common means of transportation here in Malawi, and one which I had never taken advantage of. On the way back from our friends farm we took a bike taxi for the entire 4 mile stretch of dirt road to the tarmack. It was an interesting experience to say the least. The three guys that were taking each one of us seemed to be racing- my guy lost. While it was fun to be able to sit and watch the scenery go by, I am not sure how many more bike taxi rides I will partake in. I felt very lazy sitting there while I made someone else do all that work or carting me around.
I am sure that I will have many more adventures to update you on in the coming weeks. I am planning on taking holiday and traveling to go stay in a village with some friends for a few days. This will be the first time that I will stay in a village for more than a night. It will also be the first time I will stay in a house without running water and electricity. I am excited to experience life as many people living around me experience it. (Or at least more so than I experience it living in the gated walls of ABC). I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season! Merry Christmas and safe travels to all those who are traveling this season!!
