Every once in awhile, I think about the fact that a lot of people back home in the U.S. feel sorry for me to be living here in Africa, or at least think that I'm making some kind of sacrifice to be here and should be the subject of condolences or even pity for what I'm going through, living in a tough place and all that. From the perspective of actually being here, that train of thinking is just amazing to me and seems almost impossible to believe. It's baffling to think how anyone could confuse this wonderful experience with suffering, or with something to be avoided. How could anyone not want to be here?? Sometimes it's rewarding, sometimes it's beautiful, and sometimes it's just plain fun--there is a whole color palette of different shades of joy this trip has to offer, from the profound to the light and frivolous. Rather than longing to be comfortable in the U.S., the thought of being sent home (for a medical issue or program closing or whatever) terrifies me.
One of those moments of reflection took place for me a few weeks ago in Namaacha at the top of a mountain. A couple friends and I were actually laughing out loud at the very idea of being pitied for living in Africa. We had just hiked to the summit of the mountain that holds the point where the borders of three countries come together--Mozambique, Swaziland, and South Africa. From there you can look for miles and miles into any of the three countries, and there's no avoiding the realization of just how arbitrary and senseless borders and country divisions are. The view to the Mozambique side is essentially a view of Namaacha, far below. This was the second trip up to as três fronteiras for me, and what was special about this time was that we left at 3:30 in the morning to catch the sunrise from the mountain top! :)
Staggeringly beautiful. I'll let the pictures below speak for themselves. The sun and the mist interacted in a way to create a variety of visual effects I'd not previously thought possible. Among the group of us up at the top of that mountain, there was nothing but a giddy, carefree happiness and gratitude to be alive and to be living in Mozambique. We stayed up there for hours and hours, not wanting to go back down. When I finally did go back down, what followed for me was an unforgettable afternoon back in Namaacha.
For someone in my shoes, life in Africa is many things, but mostly it is a joyride through some of the most wonderful physical, spiritual, and emotional pleasures this world has to offer. Being here is not a hard choice :)
One of those moments of reflection took place for me a few weeks ago in Namaacha at the top of a mountain. A couple friends and I were actually laughing out loud at the very idea of being pitied for living in Africa. We had just hiked to the summit of the mountain that holds the point where the borders of three countries come together--Mozambique, Swaziland, and South Africa. From there you can look for miles and miles into any of the three countries, and there's no avoiding the realization of just how arbitrary and senseless borders and country divisions are. The view to the Mozambique side is essentially a view of Namaacha, far below. This was the second trip up to as três fronteiras for me, and what was special about this time was that we left at 3:30 in the morning to catch the sunrise from the mountain top! :)
Staggeringly beautiful. I'll let the pictures below speak for themselves. The sun and the mist interacted in a way to create a variety of visual effects I'd not previously thought possible. Among the group of us up at the top of that mountain, there was nothing but a giddy, carefree happiness and gratitude to be alive and to be living in Mozambique. We stayed up there for hours and hours, not wanting to go back down. When I finally did go back down, what followed for me was an unforgettable afternoon back in Namaacha.
For someone in my shoes, life in Africa is many things, but mostly it is a joyride through some of the most wonderful physical, spiritual, and emotional pleasures this world has to offer. Being here is not a hard choice :)
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