Transition, again

“Transition is a painful process of saying goodbyes to important people and places (everything you’ve called normal or home), mourning what you’ve known and loved, and forcing yourself to look ahead to the great things God has in store for your future.”

Whether “good” or not, this is my recently developed definition of transition – and what I’m going through now.  As of Friday, I’ve officially finished language school (though definitely not language LEARNING… I have a long way to go!!!).  And while I’m definitely not opposed to saying goodbye to my Hobbit Hole Tent, rainy days slipping down the muddy hill to the bathrooms, or pre-determined meal times, I AM having a hard time saying goodbye to the amazing people I’ve become good friends with the past three months here at camp.  And so, seeing as I can’t bring them all with me tomorrow whether I want to or not… I’ve decided it’s time to make a list of all the things I’m looking forward to in Musoma.

• A proper sink where I can wash my face and brush my teeth, maybe even with a real light above and a mirror (then again, let’s not get crazy…)
• A toilet.  Which is attached to my living quarters.  And doesn’t require a long hike down a hill in the dark to get to in the middle of the night.
• A water filter, where I can refill my bottles instead of hauling boxes of twelve 1.5L bottles up a hill to my house every few weeks.
• My own sheets.  And pillows.  And, well, curtains. 
• A sink, or some source of water, inside my house where I can wash clothes.  Instead of borrowing other families' sinks for the purpose.
• A kitchen.  Where I can prepare food.  That I choose. 
• A shower that doesn't require walking through mud afterwards to get to my tent.
• Adequate lighting.  More than a tiny lamp with limited electricity.  I love my headlamp and all, but sometimes it would be nice to feel… normal.
• INTERNET!!!  Ok, I’ll still be living in Tanzania, so I’m aware that it will be sketchy.  But I’m looking forward to finally being able to Skype people – and my church – back home!  And post an occasional blog without it taking hours…
• A proper door.  As much as I love my hobbit hole tent with the broken zipper that I have to duck under to get out, I’m dreaming of days when I can walk through an opening to my room standing straight up… with things in my hands.   Or leave the door open within the house without fear of random creatures crawling through.
• Knowing I’ll actually be staying in one place for potentially more than 3 months at a time, which is saying something after the past year of travels!

Then again, there are a whole lot of things I’ve truly enjoyed at camp too. 

• Not needing a mosquito net, for one.  And having it be cool enough here to actually use a fleece blanket on my bed. 
• Having meals prepared for me when I’m utterly exhausted.
• Brilliant stars.  Every night.  Stargazing with a friend and the Nightsky App.  And being able to clearly see the Milky Way.  Oh, I wish I could take a picture of this for you!
• Having a great little shop in town that sells chocolate bars for wholesale prices.  Delicious chocolate without the normal Tanzanian wax added to keep them from melting.  Oh, I’ll miss this place.
• Most importantly, I’m going to miss the community of people who I’ve spent hours laughing, processing, eating, living, playing games, and studying with the past 12 weeks.  What an honor it has been!