One month left

Today marks one month left of my stay in Tanzania. I have started to reflect on what I have accomplished here so far. I have come to realize that I really regret nothing here. In fact, Tanzania has exceeded my expectations in many ways. Over these past few months I have had moments where I thought that my experience here has not been nearly as exciting as study abroad students in the past. How wrong I was to think those things.

No two experiences to a place are the same. Tim and I share a room and go to the same places, but when he gets home and when I get home we are going to have two completely different experiences. There is no doubt in my mind that with one month left, coming to Tanzania has changed my life. It is something that I will always carry with me, no matter where I go and what I do. After all of the things that I buy get broken or lost. After all of the pictures have somehow been erased or have gone missing, I will still have my experience with me.

I had many preconceived notions of what I would see, what I would do, and what I would feel coming here. I spoke with many people that have come here at one point in time and asked them about their time here, and I received a lot of the same answer. This made me think that it was those things that I would have to look forward to. Most of those things I have done, and really did enjoy, but so far what I will take away from this goes so far beyond those things. There is no real way good way to explain how I feel here. There is not really a way to put into words how I have felt when I have seen and experienced the things that I have here. I understand now why all of the study abroad students tend to say the same things. They are the only things that you can put into words. Everything else goes beyond explanation.

I have seen things here that no other Wartburg student has seen, just as every other person that comes here for study abroad has seen things that I will not get a chance to see. It is in the personal and silent connections that we have while we are here that we will remember. That we will grow in and recall as time goes on. It is in the silent places that we find ourselves asking the questions and maturing our minds.

Peace,
PHW