A month in a place thousands of miles away from home. A month living with 30 different people who barely know each other yet have one thing in common, teaching. This trip across the world to Tanzania has been life changing to say the least. In a time where I was contemplating if teaching was really for me, it gave me hope that education is where I find my passion and inspired me to do better. Below you will find my top 10 moments from my trip.
10. 4 hour bus ride that turned into a 7+ hour bus ride
Now, many may be thinking why did this bus make your top ten moments? Well, you see this was less than 24 hours of meeting everyone and I firmly believe that this bus trip helped bond our team together. My friend Jess and I literally shared a seat and everyone was squished to the max between bodies and baggage. However, with this being our first experience we still had so much anticipation of the month ahead of us. I remember looking out the window and watching the scenery fly by thinking, “Wow, I’m in Tanzania.” You see, the journey to Morogoro was a time of reflection. I could see the people lined up along the side of the road selling and buying goods and going about their daily lives and I realized we were about to become fully immersed in a culture that differed from our own. It was a good way to start the month, despite being uncomfortable. It really got me in a good mindset of reflection and self awareness.
9. Not being prepared for a 2 hour cold spell, while waiting for lunch during the hike up Uluguru Mountains
Again, this seems to be a negative moment at first glance. At the time I was truly freezing, uncomfortable, and in a great need of warmth. The heroes of the group came forward as I saw my fellow group members and the hiking guides come to our aide. People were literally giving clothes off their back away to help keep others warm. The main guide led us in songs and chants to keep our spirits up. A lady literally slaved away along a fire to cook 30 people a meal and welcomed us into her living space. That is a common theme in Tanzania, especially Morogoro, people are so welcoming. They may not have much, but they give all they have to others.
8. Tea Time and Experiencing Chapati for the 1st Time
In American schools, most teachers are lucky to have time to eat and even luckier if they have a prep period. In Tanzania, the schools I observed had Tea Time. Tea Time is a little less than an hour of tea and snacks. Students have a recess type period and teachers are able to relax, drink tea or coffee, eat snacks, and converse. Many teachers have classes of 50+ students so they also did marking at this time. Tea time was the first time I had Chapati which is a type of flatbread used for snacks or to go with meals. It is delicious and tastes almost like a fresh tortilla. It was definitely a comfort food while abroad. During tea time, we really got to know our teachers and enjoyed each others company.
7. Our Lovely Hotel Room
I had the pleasure of going on this journey with my good friend, Jess. We are now closer than ever due to sharing some interesting experiences. We stayed in a great place that was quite charming and above our expectations but we quickly realized we weren’t in the USA anymore. Granted, my Father has taken me to some sketchy places before, you know the ones that give you Bates Motel vibes, so the Hilux was heaven compared to some places I’ve stayed. The people were welcoming and became quick friends. At one point the air stopped working in our room and we were told to move rooms. Once in our new room we found bugs everywhere, it smelled of urine and body odor, and it looked neglected. However, because our hotel staff were amazing, they cleaned it and it was enjoyable. We even had hot water which we never got in the old room. However one late night, I was about to fall asleep when I head Jess screaming from the bathroom. Jess is notorious for screaming bloody murder when insects are around, so I assumed there was a bug. When she continued to scream I got out of bed to find water shooting out from the faucet which resulted in some confusion from hotel staff but it got fixed and all was fine and dandy. Despite blowing up water faucets, bugs, and cold showers, I really enjoyed the Hilux. It truly became a home away from home.
6. Jungle Speed
At night we had down time when we didn’t have conferences to plan. A few of us found games quite enjoyable and would play at night. One game was called Jungle Speed. It is a fast paced game where the goal is to grab this object in the middle of the table. When your shape matches another person’s shape. It got pretty competitive and intense. Even though I sucked, it was still fun and I have even bought the game for my classroom. The nights where everyone would just hang out and enjoy each other’s company reminded me of being back in college. You could hang out with your friends for no reason at all and it was chill and completely OK. No need for fancy plans or reason, just hang out to hang out.
5. Safari
As a kid, my favorite movie was Lion King. My poor Dad probably watched that every weekend with me but I don’t think he minded. Going on a safari was literally living the scenery of Lion King. It was the most surreal experience and I still can’t believe I was there. Our safari group was great. We bonded over the hunt to find all the animals and singing Toto’s Africa over and over again. The fact that we were apart of the animals’ home and not just in a zoo was crazy. Seeing a lion for the first time not in a cage was breath taking. They are such powerful and majestic creatures. The sunset and sunrise was so peaceful, until Joe started eating chips but that’s a story for another day.
4. Conference Days
Our main mission for going to Morogoro was to give the local teachers strategies they could use in their classroom. This was a challenging task, because when I first observed a classroom I had no idea how I could help them. Their classes are huge. Anywhere from 50 to 150 kids in one room. They were literally sitting on top of each other in some cases because there was no where else for them to go. How could I, someone who’s highest number of students was 26, ever help these teachers who were doing the best they could under these conditions? I also have never led or planned a PD for teachers so it was a whole new experience, but I learned a lot from it. With the help from my group, we were able to come up with some good strategies and prepare some excellent sessions. The best part of the conferences were how much our two schools were interacting with each other. They seemed to really enjoy each others’ company and even if we only taught them one thing, they at least know other teachers down the road.
3. The Hike and Waterfall
I thought I had been hiking before this trip. Apparently, the hiking I had done was a cake walk compared to hiking the Uluguru Mountains. It was challenging but beautiful. The landscape was breathtaking with each step we took into higher elevation. Reaching the waterfall was epic and so serene. The 2nd part of the hike was even more challenging, but the scenery was out of this world. It was crazy seeing villages up in the mountain knowing people live there away from the city and the world. I was struggling going up the steep parts and local women were carrying large quantities of fruit or water on top of their head like it was nothing. The views and villages was like something you would see on National Geographic. It was a once in a life time experience.
2. Sunrise on Paje Beach
When we went to Zanzibar, a group of us woke up every morning to see the sunrise on the beach. I had never felt so at peace as I did when I watched the sunrise in the morning. The busy beach was quiet except for the gentle crash of the waves upon the sand which was soft like memory foam, not rocky, like other beaches. It is one of the moments when my faith is restored. The calmness and beauty of those serene moments before the craziness of life starts brings everything back into perspective. You know you have met good people when you can bond over simple things such as the sunrise.
1. Connections that will last a Life Time
In one month, I bonded with more people than I have in a long time. People from all over the states, the UK, Canada, and of course the locals in Morogoro. The teachers of Morogoro didn’t know us. They barely understood why we were there but they accepted us with open arms and invited us into their lives. I have never met such a welcoming group of people in my life. We all come from different places, different cultures, beliefs, and ways of life but we all care about our students. We all know that in order to empower our students we need to do our best to educate them and give them the tools needed to be a successful adult. Though a month is short in terms of a life time, this month impacted the rest of my life. I hope these connections grow and we continue to learn from each other despite time and distance. The world is now a little smaller than it was a month ago. It’s our job to continue to make the world smaller for others by telling our stories and making our friends, family, and co-workers more aware of Tanzania and its’ beauty by combating stereotypes and speaking our truth.
Bee the Thread 