Weekly Update: Getting ready!

Hello everyone and thank you for following along! This is the first post and I’m excited to share what’s been going on even though this might be a bit lengthy. This week I’ve been busy gathering the necessary supplies for my expedition to Tanzania (I’ll be leaving the 30th!) and thought I would share some tips and tricks. When I think about getting ready for trips like this, I find it easiest to consider clothes first. I’ll be there for approximately 10 weeks so I’ll need lots of different clothes and shoes, not to mention toiletries and jackets. I plan on taking 7 work pants equally as many T-shirts to work during the day, with a few comfier pants at night to stave off the mosquitos. Short sleeves and pants are common in Tanzania so this week I ordered some fun, affordable T-shirts from Amazon! For nightime, I’ve brought 3 cover ups and 1 coat since Moshi can get chilly as it sits at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. I’ve also brought a couple pairs of shorts and other athletic wear to workout in. Shoes are the most difficult! I’m bringing 4 pairs- 1 pair of tennis shoes for day-to day activities, hiking boots for the mountains and national parks, running shoes (duh!), and dress shoes.

Next up is essential equipment, study materials, entertainment, and other supplies! This part takes considerably less time than the former for which I am relieved. Once I have all my gear, including chargers, outlet adapters, flashlight, medicine, office materials and notebooks, I’m nearly set to go! All that’s left will be a couple gifts ? and supplies for friends in Morogoro and Moshi. I’m departing for Tanzania on Tuesday the 30th, landing in the capital city of Dar Es Salaam on the 31st whereupon I will travel to Morogoro to stay with my good friend and mentor Michael before beginning work at the Watering Hole on June 6th!

I finished packing everything up yesterday and Marisela and Shoshi brought another bag full of supplies needed at the Watering Hole. As I sit here writing this, I’m at the gate waiting on the plane to arrive! Despite this journey becoming somewhat of a yearly thing, I am still humbled and grateful for the opportunity to travel and see different parts of the world. Although the flights are long and stressful, they’re also full of excitement and anticipation of the adventures to come!

As I will be traveling within Tanzania, I think it’s important to add a bit of cultural flair to this blog, so in each post I’ll be including a Swahili proverb or methali that represents the adventures and themes of the week. This week has been full of preparation, but diligence was practiced in packing and making sure everything was just so. I’m inherently not a very patient person, so this has been a long week, but I’m glad that we took the necessary time to pack and I feel more prepared for it.

“Haraka haraka haina baraka”

Literally translated, “hurry hurry has no blessing.” Symbolically this proverb reminds us to slow down and that being fast is no reward if the work isn’t done correctly. I found this to ring very true this week!

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I hope you enjoyed the first of many! Bigger things to come!