The other day we all had a conversation about what we were missing and what we were surprised we were doing okay without. After thinking about this for a while, I thought it would make for a neat blog post. Enjoy!
10 THINGS I HAVE LEARNED I CAN LIVE WITHOUT
• My phone. Being unreachable is actually kinda of fun. I feel so mysterious.
• A mirror. We all looked in a mirror in Kampala this weekend and started laughing because we were clueless at how horrible we all looked.
• A toilet. Using the latrine isn’t so bad! I am getting really strong thighs so that’s a plus, right?
• Make-up. I can rub my eyes with no black stuff appearing under my eyes! It’s awesome. Everyone should go for the natural look. It’s quite refreshing and can potentially be a money saver.
• An alarm clock. It’s actually kind of bad.. We get around 10 hours of sleep every night here. We go to bed at sun down and wake up to the roosters and sunlight. I have never had so much sleep in my whole life! It’s bomb.
• Television. I haven’t missed TV once. But that’s unfair because I never even watch TV at home. But still, who needs TV seriously?
• I can definitely live without being forced to take Malaria Pills. Well, I probably wouldn’t live if I didn’t. But I hate taking medications! Especially when they cramp my stomach all day long. And to make matter worse, I have to take them 4 weeks after I leave Africa to prevent getting Malaria!
• I can live without Matooke. It’s nasty. Fried bananas? Yeah, I would be fine never eating you again.
• “Mzungu” prices. I can live without being jipped just because I’m white. Safari for a white person: $325. Safari for a African: $30. I am considering painting myself black for a day.
• Being busy 24/7. It took me so long to accept that not being busy is OKAY. During the school year I have school, cougarettes, a social life, AND job so I hardly ever time to just sit. If I watched a movie, I would have to be doing my nails or stretching or something so I wouldn’t go crazy. Here, I have learned to accept that it’s okay not to be busy and having something planned every second of every day. Don’t know if this is good or bad.
10 THINGS I HAVE LEARNED I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT
• My family. Not being with them for Isabelle’s farewell was one of the hardest things ever.
• Hand Sanitizer. I have become a tad bit of a clean freak. I hand sanitize probably 20 times a day. Can’t be TOO safe, right?
• Sonic Diet Coke. Oh what I would do! THAT ICE. THOSE LIMES. AHHHH. (hint to my mother of what I want at the airport waiting 🙂
• Apples. I went from eating 2 apples a day with Peanut Butter to none at all. That’s like taking away drugs that weren’t even harmful to the patient! It’s straight up rude.
• Music. It’s amazing how music can connect so many people. We hear American music all the time here but I have also loved to learn their cultural music. Music also really helps when you can’t sleep because of the monsoon rainstorms… plug in your ipod… tune out the storm…and your set.
• CHOCOLATE/SWEETS. They don’t eat dessert here! What kind of sick society is this?!
• Dance! I am dying not being able to take like a technique class or a dance class. I dance with the little kids, but teaching them how to jerk isn’t really cuttin’ it for me.
• Pictures! When I am lonely, pictures comfort me more than anything else!
• The Church! Going to church here is the highlight of my week. I look so forward to it. And reading my scriptures really helps me fall asleep when I can’t. Just kidding,……………………..but kind of?
• Last but most definitely not least, variety in foods. Each restaurant here has the EXACT same menu! How they survive is a mystery to me. They only have matooke, potatoes, rice, beans, fish, cassava, peas, and meat. Yesterday when I asked Karli where she wanted to go to lunch she was like “ZUPAS” and we just started laughing. Oh what we would do for a variety of restaurants! Be grateful for that! It is also funny because when you go to order “beans and peas” , for example, they reply saying “Sorry, we are out of beans and peas.” You have to order by saying “What DO you have?!” Because there is a 9/10 chance they don’t have what you want to order.
Can’t live without these kids! My dad made me promise him I wouldn’t bring one home, but aren’t they so cute?! They had never seen a Mzungu before. Look at them stare! So hilarious.
Hope you all have a happy week! XOXO
