The 18th of February marked the 6 month anniversary of my arrival in Namibia so I decided it was a good time to stop and reflect. The first thing I thought of was how different my life is today than it was just six months ago. I have very fond memories of my 4.5 years in Stevens Point and for some reason the memory of late-night trips to County Market and Walmart popped into my mind. That was always my favourite – doing my grocery shopping in peace and quiet at 11 PM on a Saturday when the isles were deserted. Some of you might recall how I could spend hours at the grocery store, wandering the isles, walking back and forth across the store to collect ingredients I’d forgotten or suddenly realized I wanted. This mini-daydream also reminded me that sometimes I’d drive from my apartment to the grocery store which was just a five minute walk away (but, in my defence, I did walk sometimes and I also often rode my bike). Still, I don’t think I realized how lucky I was at the time. Now I walk 20 minutes just to get to school or to the road to find a ride into town. I’d also hop in my car when I wanted to go to Walmart or if I needed to get to the YMCA and it was raining. Which brings me to another topic – things I miss. With that introduction, I’d like to present to you my “Most-Missed List” (just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?)
Preface: Obviously, the thing I miss the most is all of you – my friends and family – but I think that goes without saying so I’m not including it on the list.
4. My car – after a particularly rough day with grade 6 a few weeks ago, I was sitting in my office at school trying to reflect on the lesson and understand where things had gone wrong. For some reason, however, I just couldn’t find the motivation and concentration necessary to do the reflection. I tried to think of how I could get the job done and I realized that, in America, I did most of my reflecting in my car on the drive to/from work or school. At that moment, I really wanted to hop in my car and go for a drive so I could figure things out. I never realized that a drive has three elements necessary for a good reflection – solitude, beautiful scenery and good music. And cars also offer another wonderful benefit: independence – you can go wherever you want whenever you want. Craving ice cream? Coldstone’s not far away. Had a morning that’s dragged on? Starbucks at lunch. Feeling bored? Why not road trip to Florida!
3. Coaching gymnastics – I’m not sure what sparks the memories of my coaching days, but I think of my gymnasts often. I miss them dearly and since I haven’t heard from any of them (insert sad face here) I’m not sure how their season is going but I’m sure they’re doing well. I may have been thinking of gymnastics because it was an example of a time when I was able to clearly see (and even measure) my student’s progress. Whether it was a back handspring on beam, proper form on tap swings or a round-off back handspring without a spot it was incredibly rewarding to see the girls learn and master a new skill. And in Namibia, thus far, it’s been difficult to tell how much progress my students have been making in English.
2. The selection of food – returning to the tales of the grocery store, I fondly remember days when my college friend Kristen and I would go to County Market and enjoy a baked good (usually a muffin) at the secret tables upstairs overlooking the produce section while discussing the events of the weekend. While the muffins were delicious, it is the beautiful array of produce that I miss even more. At almost any grocery store in America you can find an incredible selection of fresh produce and, generally, this produce is offered at a fairly reasonable price. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said of Namibia. I often find myself craving fruits and vegetables – lettuce, oranges, spinach, pineapples, radishes, bing cherries, peaches, nectarines, celery, cherry tomatoes, grapefruit, olives. And don’t even get me started on dairy products!
1. Snow – alright, I know everyone in Wisconsin is probably rolling their eyes in disgust, but I really, REALLY miss the snow. By the time March rolled around I was looking forward to spring as much as the next person, but while the snow was around I really enjoyed it. Sometimes I just close my eyes and remember what it was like – walking down a carless, tree-lined street at night, the stillness and silence surrounding me, the snow crunching under my feet, the peace and solitude of watching the snow gently fall down and feeling like I was walking in a snowglobe. Or ice skating at dusk on the little skating rink Chris had cleared on the lake, just far enough from shore that the sounds of traffic on the highway were absent, gliding on the ice in complete, utter silence.
In the process of reflecting on these past six months, I also realized how much I’ve learned. The long list of things I’ve learned makes me marvel at the human ability to adapt. Things I couldn’t even have fathomed six months ago now seem normal to me. So here’s a little sampling of the new things I’ve learned to do:
- Wash laundry by hand (you’d be AMAZED how much dirt and dye comes out of clothes)
- Wash dishes without a cloth (that’s right, it’s completely possible!)
- Hitchhike (please, don’t panic, this is Namibia, not America – it’s the way people get around here)
- Sow, cultivate and pound mahangu (I can pound for an hour now without getting blisters – quite the improvement!)
- Light a gas oven (not a burner, the oven – at first it was rather scary)
- Collect rainwater (an essential survival skill when water isn’t running at the tap and the water in the oshanas nearby is a mucky grey and quite possibly infected with schisto)
- Live without a refrigerator (although I’m pretty positive my nutrition has suffered)
- Pluck a chicken (and not wince when its head is chopped off – tho I have yet to wield the machete myself or hold the twitching chicken’s body)
All in all, the first six months have been great – a wonderful learning experience, everything I wanted and nothing I expected!
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