I'm getting ready to leave Africa behind and finish the last two months of the race in Asia. There are things that I miss about each place that I have been to. So for those of you who are future racers or racers getting ready for Africa and you're wondering what to look forward to (without expectations of course) here is a list of things that I will miss.
- Kids shouting "Mazungu! How are you?!"
- A child shouting "A Mazungu!" and everyone on the road (mostly children) staring at you till you're out of ear shot of the shouting child.
- Children following you everywhere
- The hospitality that EVERYONE in Africa seems to have…why don't we have this in America?
- Mandazies (they are like giant doughnut holes without the glaze)
- Chapatti (similar to a tortilla)
- Riding on boda boda (motorbikes)
- African churches
- Music
- Dancing
- Fellowship
- The wildlife
- African tea
- Mosquitoes that carry malaria – just kidding! That's one thing that I will NOT miss!
- The people
- The sunsets and sunrises
- Seeing other constellations in the night sky
- Being able to go into a school and teach whatever I want
- African time (though sometimes it does drive me crazy)
- Milkshakes from the Coffee Shop
- Ice cream from Burbon Coffee (the only cold thing I've found in Rwanda)
- Debrief at the Nile River
- Walking from village to village
- Going to church multiple times a week (some teams went just about everyday in some countries)
- Not having power because it forces awesome conversations and makes us think what else we can do without the use of electronics. We can get creative (but having the power go on and off is really annoying).
- Living with 13 amazing women
- Hanging out at the schools even after school was over
- Worship by headlamp
- African arts
- Living life with our contacts
- Cramming 10 people in a 5 passenger car
- Seeing the amazement on local faces when they hear that I know how to drive a car that NOT an automatic (Thanks Uncle Phil!) and that I have learned how to drive a boda boda.
- The wide open spaces
- Seeing (hearing would be more appropriate) churches on ever corner.
- Community with the team, contacts, and community.
