Lessons from East Africa

Things I taught in Africa;

Nothing.  Maybe how to make an awesome chocolate brownie but that’s probably it.

Things I learnt in Africa;

I learnt how to appreciate my down time, I learnt how to work really hard for not much thanks and persevere.  I found love, I lost love, I found it again and again.  I saw old friends, I made new friends, I felt my soul truly connect with people for the first time.  I found a brother, well two of them.  I found many sisters.  I was adopted by Ethiopians, I ate with my hands.  I learnt how to love food more eating with my hands.  I learnt that eating at a place with open sewage running past it can make you sick for a week.  I learnt not to eat pork once it’s been in the sun for too long and has gone green.  I leant that malaria is the most annoying sickness you can have.  I sung in public.  I stopped singing in public.  I learnt to relax and to calm down.  I learnt that I can talk really fast, I also learnt to slow it down.  I learnt how to love myself, flaws, faults and all.  I learnt to love my imperfections and if someone can’t love me despite those then they’re not worth my time.  I learnt forgiveness.  I found faith.  I found happiness.  I found a really comfortable grey jacket on a matatu.  I lost my favourite pair of pants.  I learnt that some things aren’t worth getting upset over.  Like the pants.

I learnt that hand washing clothes everyday is hard and I don’t like it but if you don’t do it for a week or two things are much worse.  I found a new tolerance for dirt.  I also found that no matter how hard I try sometimes feet cannot be as clean as you’d like them.  I finally learnt how to stop peeing on my feet every time I use a pit latrine.  I learnt how to hold my breath for a really long time in said pit latrine.  I found that a piece of rope and some wood with holes in it can make a pretty good set of hanging shelves.  I learnt how hard it is to carry heavy loads for long distances on your head. 

I found wisdom, everywhere.  I found that hitch hiking on the back of trucks down the highway can make you very dirty.  I learnt patience, tolerance and acceptance.  I heard things said that I never thought I would hear, such as; “what you don’t have rocks in your rice?”  I said things I never thought I would say, like; “I’m sick of all this damn witchcraft!”  I got angry, I got sad, I learnt how to deal with these emotions and deal with myself when I didn’t.  I learnt to forgive myself as well as others.  I learnt that I am more comfortable with myself in Uganda than I ever have been Australia.  I found out what my passions in life are.  I developed a greater passion for life.  I reaffirmed my path, I also made new ones.  I followed my dreams.  I learnt how important it is to follow your own dreams than someone else’s.  I learnt truth in the words “I’d rather fall myself, than let you drag me on down.” 

I found out that no matter how long I stay in East Africa I will never be graceful getting in and out of matatu’s or on and off boda’s.  I learnt to love the fact that I’m not graceful.  At least that gives me something to laugh at myself about in hindsight.  I learnt that I can dig for hours on end, I also learnt that I hate digging.  I learnt that no matter how long I have to stay away from Africa for, my heart will always, always be here and every second of everyday of my life will be dedicated to my goals and my dreams.  I learnt to understand, I learnt to be understood.  I learnt to dream, sleep, stay awake until far too late to drunkenly watch sunsets.  I learnt that I don’t want to drink alcohol anymore and most importantly I learnt that drinking a bottle of Jamaican rum when you have malaria is a really, really bad idea.

One love people.