One More Flashback...

I have not given my trip to Tanzania enough justice yet. So until things pick up in Italy, I will keep flashing back to photos from my trip, and what I have learned from them. In this one below, you will see four of the greatest people I have ever met. (In truth, essentially every person I met in Tanzania was beyond amazing...):

Meet Josephu, Simoni, Paolo, and Hernesti, the four local "fundis" (craftsman) who helped my group and I build a school. What, you may ask, is so great about them? Well, they are fantastic at what they do. And they never were bothered by taking the time, again and again, to demonstrate and describe through hand motions what exactly what we were to do. Never did they get upset - sure, maybe a little frustrated at times, but they never showed it. It did not matter that we did not really know what we were doing or that we could not always understand them. All that mattered was that we were there, and since that was all that really mattered to them, I instantly appreciated them more.

But it was not just such mannerisms that made me appreciate them. As is apparent, there was a major language barrier - only one person in our group was fluent in Kswahili. Yet as I just mentioned, that was not a problem. Hand gestures and charades became the icebreakers until we started learning Kswahili words. And even then, just as the building, they never got frustrated when we were trying to communicate. On the contrary, they were more than enthusiastic by the fact that we were trying, especially as they, in turn, were trying to learn English. It ended up as one fun process, by which we would go back in forth in trying to teach each other's languages. Obviously things got a bit muddled, but trying was the best part. And the reward was more than worth it.

Most of all, these men were not afraid to be themselves around us. It was very possible that they could have been afraid to engage with us at first, but if they were, they never showed it. Right off the bat they would teach us songs and dances, just as we would teach them. Their constant smiles and laughter lit up my days, and every time I look at the picture above, their joy comes alive again, and I myself begin to smile.

Saying goodbye was ridiculously hard. These four men were beyond phenomenal, and having to leave them behind, knowing a return to visit was not guaranteed, bruised my heart a bit. Nevertheless, I take meeting them as a highlight, not a lowlight, for their joy inspires me to spread the smiles and keep laughter alive in a world so filled with sadness.

Last Moments in the US

So once again, I am moments away from leaving the US, heading across the Atlantic to the beautiful country of Italy. Yet this time, I am unable to read my emotions. Am I more excited or nervous? Happy or sad? This will be the longest I have been in a different country, and I do not know what to expect. After all, there is a difference between traveling and living.

Well, as not to think I am nervous (as that is very counterproductive), I will list all the things I am excited for:
- Living in the heart of Rome
- Soaking up the Italian culture
- Learning Italian, as well as Ancient Roman and Art History
- Meeting so many new people
- THE FOOD. (I am, after all, a major foodie. I cannot help but think of that first. But I put it last so as not to make it seem like my priority....)
- Being in Europe

Okay, pretty good list I'd say. Of course, these are all very broad topics (save the Learning part), but nonetheless, listing them helps ease the anxieties. Not that I really should have any anxieties. I am going to ROME. And the experience will change my life, that I'm sure of. One of my favorite things to do is dive into the unknown and see what I learn from it. What better thing to do than move to another country for a few months and see what happens?

A Little Delayed...

Remind me again never to use Firefox. It kept freezing my computer, and thus I could not post a blog.



I leave in two and a half days for Italy - how exciting! But before I leave, I wish to recount events from my past trip to Tanzania. Let's start with this picture:

Here I introduce you to the happiest child I know - and that is pretty bold to say considering every child I met has a smile that could light up the world. But this child's smile (on the left) truly does. Unfortunately I never got to learn her name, but her sweet demeanor will always stick with me. She lived next door to us in this tiny little hut, about an eighth of the size of our place. Her clothes were dirty and torn, her feet were covered in scratches. Yet while she may have lived in a tiny house with seemingly nothing, she could not have been happier. Perhaps it is all she has known, but her sense of appreciation for what she has is overwhelmingly powerful. And when I visited her household, her family welcomed me in as if I was one of their children, offering me food and tea, regardless of how much they had or how much it cost. I was moved to tears of my own retrospection. It makes me wonder what happened to the rest of us. Why can the rest of us not be like that little girl?

We are so lucky to have all the luxuries in our lives - from running water to electricity to a solid roof over our heads. This little girl had none of that, but that did not matter to her. She had some place to live with a family that cared for her more than anything. Possessions are only material and can easily, while our family is what will always remain. Now, I am not saying this is the time to find your family and hug them to death, for I fully understand that a lot of our families are pretty dysfunctional (mine is no exception). Yet rather than let any dysfunction push them away, try to look beyond the faults and welcome them into your life. I have been trying ever since I returned, and although it has been difficult, I do feel I have made progress in improving the relationships I have with my family members. Hopefully one day my family can have the same sense of love and appreciation as that of the little girls. When and if that will happen, I do not know, but I do know it is better to try than sit by the wayside and let your family slip away. Hold on to them, as they will last longer than the computer in front of you or lightbulb turned on behind you.

I must depart for now, but I expect to return later or tomorrow with a new picture and a new insight. Until then, as they say in Kswahili, "amani" (peace).

Before the Next Phase Begins...

This seems like the time to make an introduction of sorts. Ever since I was a child, I have always wanted to see what else is out there. Whether it be in the woods around my home or in a country far away, traveling has swept my heart away. The traveling began for me when I was 13, when I visited an old camp friend in London, England. Ever since, I have been bitten by what my grandmother calls the "travel bug". Indeed, she is correct. Following London, I have been to Italy, the British Virgin Islands, Nova Scotia, Panama, Costa Rica, Paris, China, and Tanzania. My attraction to each place stems from different desires inside of me. I sailed through the British Virgin Islands on a 70 foot boat, absorbing as much of the beauty of the ocean and its wildlife as I could. Paris was the chance to experience European culture during my formative teenage years, full of sight-seeing and museum hopping, as well as clubbing and partying. On my journey through China, I attempted to learn Mandarin while at the same time learning the basics of Chinese Cuisine (food being another one of my passions). And Tanzania was my most recent travel - the chance to throw all of myself into service projects to improve the community I stayed in. For now, that is as far as I will go into my past travels, just to make this introduction short. But I will say that I am one of the luckiest people alive. The gift of travel is hard to put words to, no matter how hard I try. A lot of travel is seeing and experiencing, but I hope that through my words and pictures I can take others to the same places as I myself have been.

So where does that leave me now? Well, currently I am in the United States, but not for long. In less than a week, I leave for Italy, where I will be spending five months taking classes in Rome. I have no idea what to expect, and that thought frightens me a bit. However, as much as it frightens me, it excites me, and I cannot wait to begin living as the Italians do.

One quick word on the title of this blog - "The Adventures of a Traveling Heart". I chose the title because I believe that is what I am. I am a very passionate person. From my studies to my hobbies, especially cooking, I dedicate myself and my heart to the moment at hand. In truth, that is the only way to live, because after all, who knows if the next day will come?