So I got back to my site on Friday afternoon, after a successful day in town – shopping for food, internet, picking up clothes I had made, staying happy, ready to start working – and slowly began to realize that my housing situation was not yet resolved. Regardless, I tried to get on with my work. I attended the catholic service at the church here, led by a very tall, very hunched old English gentleman with a can and filled with great African music, met lots of bibis – grandmas (my favorite people!), introduced myself at a village informational meeting, bought a soda, matches and rat poison and set about making my house a home. I studied my Swahili, made a noun class chart, and went to the clinic to get a tour and help out with some adorable new babies (twins!) and some expecting mothers. All in all, I was starting to feel really good about PC and the next two years, like I could do this. Perhaps the two weeks in Dar were what I needed to get ahold of myself and feel grounded again.
On Tuesday I got word from PC that I would be moved to Kondoa, Dodoma region. I cried. The nurse I live with, who is really such a wonderful and caring person, gave me the best bug I’ve had since being in country and shed her own tears when I started packing my bags. None of this is her fault; it’s just a big political mess. I’ll really miss her, but perhaps I’ll get a better start, and my own house, in Kondoa.
My new site is apparently near where I shadowed, near Babati. I really liked the area then, and the weather was agreeable, so hopefully this won’t be such a bad thing. In fact, I’m just looking at it as a fresh start. I really do like it here in Songea though, and I really will miss the small PCV community we have down here, I was already so comfortable! After the initial shock, and by talking with PCVs in Kondoa and realizing I won’t be stranded in the desert portion of Dodoma Region, I’m excited to move. Maybe there won’t be so much BS at my new site. Maybe I won’t have bats. Maybe it will be super beautiful. Maybe I’ll be able to buy veggies and fruit in my vil. Maybe I’ll have furniture. Maybe I’ll have an opportunistic place to have a garden. Maybe I’ll have a well close by, or a river. Maybe Maybe… So many new opportunities!
It’s definitely been a whirlwind so far, but maybe this is when I finally get settled
PC is picking me up tomorrow morning in a car. I’ll load in all my crap and then we’ll go essentially on a cross-country road trip to Mbeya to pick up another PCV who is moving, stay the night there, then on Friday drive to Morogoro, stay a night there, then on Saturday I’ll arrive at my new site. I am replacing a volunteer named Harry, apparently we have an awesome Arkansasan missionary couple in the area that are like our parents and have lived here 15 years, and I’ll be in a region that is once again full of wonderful PC people, including Eric from my training village. It is also a possibility that I’ll be able to walk to the nearest volunteer’s site – adorable Kat from Arizona. THIS WILL BE A GOOD THING. I’ll be centrally located, so visiting PCVs in other regions should be a cinch compared to far-off Songea. I’m already very excited about the prospectus of a Valentine’s party and a birthday bash in the month of February. Kondoa, here I come!
So many maybes! Such a positive and hopeful outlook I love it.
I am sorry that everything has been messed up with your living situation before, and I am keeping my fingers crossed for you to have more stability. I think this new location you are going to will be swell.
I sure hope this is the start of an exciting new beginning for you. I love all the pictures you posted, what an adventure you are having. You should be very proud of yourself, not all of us have the nerve to do what your doing. So we can live the adventure through you. lol Best of luck in your new home. Hugs to you.