Update Time :)

Hard to believe it has been 2 ½ months since I last updated my blog. Time has truly gotten away from me. So much has happened since my return to Dar. I began my 2^nd term of teaching. The term has flown by and I can’t believe we will end this term in just 2 short weeks. This term has been a growing experience for me. I have found myself being challenged in new ways and asking a lot of questions. I have managed to stay busy but have also started to take more time for myself. 

In the middle of February myself and 3 other friends decided to take a much needed weekend get away to Zanzibar. It was the weekend of the annual music festival, Sauti za Busara. It was good to get out of Dar and have relaxing weekend.

During the last weekend I got the opportunity to go on my first over night field trip as a teacher. I was asked to attend the Primary Sports Weekend in Moshi. I was excited to get to see another part of Tanzania but was a bit nervous about taking 35 primary students on a plane and away for the weekend. It was a fantastic trip though. It was a good mixture of fun and new experiences. The sports team did extremely well and we brought home 3 trophies and lots of new medals.  

Following my return home from the trip I became ill. I ended up with walking pneumonia and an upper respiratory infection due to the climate change and other factors. After several days off I decided to return to school as I was feeling a bit better but I ended up returning too soon. After being on meds for 10 days and still feeling run down and still having high fevers I decided to get a 2^nd opinion….. Good thing I did as it turned out I had malaria. After getting some new meds, I finally began to feel “human” again. This school year I have been sick more times than I have in the last 4 years I think so needless to say I hope my body adjust to the changes and viruses here in Dar sooner rather than later!!!

Overall the past two months have been a good mixture of work and social life. I have made some great friends through DIA. My roommate, myself and another teacher from school will be heading to Zanzibar again in two weeks. We get 10 days off between terms and decided that we needed a few days out of the city and on the beach to just relax! I am really looking forward to it and hope to return after 4 days on the beach refreshed and ready to finish out the last 2 ½ months of school!

Hope everyone will have a wonderful Sunday and I will try to not let so much time pass before I update again J

Back home in Dar!

I can't believe it has already been a week since I departed the States. Of course the goodbyes were harder this time around knowing that it will be at least 7 months before I return home and get to see everyone. Karrlee was not ready to say goodbye and at first even refused to say goodbye at all.....then she realized that I was leaving no matter what. I hope that some day she will realize that I am not leaving to be mean but instead to follow my dream.....

I remember as I was boarding the plane last week thinking to myself....I sure hope this next week does not fly by as quickly as the previous two weeks. I thought that with my return to Dar I would slow down and find some time to relax a bit more.....well I was quite wrong and I think time has moved at a faster pace this past week than before.

Upon returning to Dar I was filled with mixed emotions....I was so happy to be home and as I saw familiar things on my way back to my apartment...I instantly felt relaxed and at home.....I guess that is how you know that where you are is where you are meant to be.....I know the "see you laters" will always be hard and I will always be excited to get back to the States and see everyone but my heart and life are in Dar right now!

Things in Dar have been good for the most part since my return. The only down fall has been the water issues. Unfortunately during the major flooding about 2 weeks back a pipe on our street burst....it has yet to be fixed but they keep saying that it should be up and running some time soon!! In the mean time we have had water delivered to the tanks at our apartment building to hold us over until the problem is fixed. Other than that things have been good....we have had a few power cuts but the weather has been a bit cooler so that is an advantage :)

We decided to post pone our mini vacation to the island due to me still recovery from surgery and the weather forecast calling for rain all of the days that we were planning on being there. I am looking forward to the trip which will probably take place in February during one of our long weekends!!

For New Years Eve we had some people over to our apartment where we played games, ate and just had a good time. It was great to get to catch up with everyone since for most of us it was our first time seeing one another since we closed school 2 weeks prior.

During the day of New Years Eve I had some time to think about and reflect on the past year. Amazing how much things can change in just 365 days. 2011 was truly a life changing year full of many great accomplishments.....I graduated college, spoke at college graduation, traveled the world a bit more and landed my first post college job that then took me half way around the world.  Along with the many great things came a few bad things but I believe that those bad things have steered me onto a new path. I now know exactly how short life can be and also the importance of following your dreams....I have set some great New Year's Resolutions (10 to be exact) but my overall goal for 2012 is to find more time to relax and enjoy life and spend time with those who are important in my life.

To finish off our break a group of us headed to Bongoyo Island yesterday. It was a lot of fun. We spent the day relaxing, swimming and soaking up the sun. I think there will be more trips like this one in the future as it was good to just get out of the hustle and bustle of the city for a day!

Well I think that is all for now! I hope everyone will have a good rest of the week as we all try to get back into the swing of things after much time off :)

Home for the Holidays....

It’s hard to believe that in just under 2 days I will be boarding a plane back to Dar. My time at home has flown by….not that that is any surprise J During my time at home I have gotten the chance to catch up with friends and spend lots of time with my family.

Last Monday I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed, a procedure that I was very nervous about yet extremely ready to get done!!! To start off the Dr. was unable to get an IV in…..after 4 failed attempts he thought it was best to proceed with some sedation and local anesthetic. Not what I was hoping for….needless to say I was awake the whole time and heard everything from start to finish. It was not painful but it was definitely uncomfortable. I could feel the pressure and what not of him cutting. All I had to say when he was finished was I am glad all 4 are gone and this is something I never have to deal with again! The recovery has been slow and painful. There was very little swelling on the first day but by day 2 the chipmunk cheeks had arrived. I lived with ice packs on my cheeks and alternated between Advil and vicodin every 4 hours. Finally on day 4 the pain let up a bit. It still comes and goes….I am still taking Advil every 4-6 hours and icing quite often but hopefully things will get better soon!! I go to my post op appointment tomorrow and I am looking forward to finally getting my stitches out!!

In the mean time I have gotten to catch up on some sleep during the day but fought jet lag for a majority of the week. I usually would wake up for 2-3 hours in the middle of the night. I am hoping over the next week or so my schedule will get back to normal especially upon my return to Dar.

I flew to Texas on Friday to spend the holiday weekend with my family. It was a great time and was good to be surrounded by family for the holidays. It was a busy weekend but in a good way J It was great to catch up…..there was lots and lots of laughter especially with our own personal entertainer…Miss Karrlee! Lots of new memories were made and old memories visited!

Life back in the States has been good. I have enjoyed my constant power and hot showers and being able to get in a car and not face traffic jams has been a plus as well! I found it hard to believe how easily I was able to fall back into my old routines and life styles upon my return home. Lots of shopping, spending time with friends, etc. I was able to pick up where I left off. I am sure this might change a bit the longer I am away but am glad for the time being this is how it goes!

Meanwhile back in Dar there has been major flooding. I have seen pictures and it does not look good. Thankfully the area I live in does not seem to be majorly effected but I will see for myself soon enough. We needed the rain but not this much. It is said that it is the heaviest rainfall in 57 years. I have also been told that it is getting hotter by the day as the summer months arrive. This is hard for me to believe as I deal with the cold weather here. I know that it could be much colder but it is still extremely cold for me since I am coming from high 80s to low 90s on a daily basis. I must admit that I am looking forward to seeing the sunshine again!!

My last full day here will be filled with last minute shopping, doctor appts, hair apt, and other errands…I feel like there is not enough hours in the day to get it all done but I know that it will all work out in the end. Oh and I still have to pack, which might be a challenge to fit all of my purchases into my two suitcases :-/

Upon my return to Dar I will be leaving on a mini vacation to Zanzibar. I am very much looking forward to 4 days of pure relaxation on the beach and with good company none the less :D It is much needed at this point! My only hope is that I am feeling better by then otherwise it will not be too fun…..

Well I think that about sums up my last week or so…. my next update will come in the New Year. I hope everyone will have a safe and happy new year!!!

Back in the NKY

The last few weeks have been filled with end of term report writing, last minute errands and getting portfolios reading. I stayed quite busy which made the days fly by even more quickly. I had a few days where I was out with strep throat but once the antibiotics kicked in a I had very quick recovery. The days keep getting hotter and hotter. Power rations have been far and few between but water shortages have been becoming more frequent. I just kept telling myself that I will be home for a couple of weeks soon and will get to enjoy the many luxuries .... I think it helped get me through the last few weeks. 

When I left a short 4 months ago, I was not sure how the time would pass by. Needless to say the days, weeks and months have flown by. When this past week began it was hard to believe that on Thursday I would be boarding an airplane and flying home for the holidays. The week flew by even though I kept telling myself I had pleanty of time to get things done prior to my departure but then it was Wednesday and I still had a ton of things to do. Of course I did last minute packing as always. Thursday I left with two very light bags and my carry-ons. As I was heading to the door my roommate says, "Do you have everything?" I said ya I think so....then she holds of my Iphone....oops guess I forgot something.

I left for the airport expecting there to be lots of traffic but there was not much traffic at all and it only took around an hour to arrive at the airport. Upon arrival I was told that check-in for my flight was not until 9 pm...weird that you cannot check in earlier than 2.5 hours before depart.  Then I made it smoothly thourgh check in, passport control and security. I still had lots of time to kill so I spent some time talking on the phone and some time surfing the web. Then it was time to board my first of 3 flights. My flight departed around 11.45 so I was fighting sleep at that point. I managed to stay up for a few hours and watch a movie. Then it was off to sleep and I slept until almost landing time. We landed in Amsterdam around 7 am. As soon as I walked off the airplane, I felt the cold air. I think it felt much colder due to the heat that I was coming from. My first stop there as Starbucks!! I was great to finally have my favorite drink in hand and warm up a bit. I had a 3 or so hour layover which was nice, gave me some time to catch up on emails and such.

I departed Amsterdam around 11 am. This time I was asleep before the plane even took off. It was good to finally catch up on some much needed sleep. Upon arriving in Minneapolis, it was still cold and it took forever to get through passport control and customs but it helped the layover not seem as bad. My last flight, though only 2 hours, was terrible!!! I had two very loud and oppionated men seated behind me. All I could think was please let this flight get in the air quickly so I can put on my headphones on and drowned out these idiots! The person next to me was like, "Where is the mute button." Needless to say it was a very long two hours and even my headphones could not cover up their voice levels! But it was all made better upon landing. As I walked into the Welcome area I say a little girl paitently waiting. Then as soon as she was sure it was me she ran full force and went straight into my arms. I got a nice big kiss and a I missed you so much and I love you...my mom and best friend were also there with a "Welcome Home Stacey" sign...it doesn't get much better than that!!

I got home around 8 and stayed up for a bit but my bed was calling my name. It felt good to actually get some good sleep. Jet lag is in full swing and I was awake for a couple of hours in the night and up for good at 7.30. Yesterday afternoon I got some retail therapy in as well as getting to eat some of the foods I had missed! Followed by a night of laughter and catching up. Today I will do some more shopping, go to the movies, visit some more friends and eat some more food!

Tomorrow is the big day. I finally am getting all 4 wisdom teeth out. I am getting a bit nervous but looking forward to finally get the pesky things out!! Hopefully will have a quick recovery before I am off to Texas next weekend for Christmas!

I think that is all of the updates for now! Look forward to another one later this week after I am feeling better. Hope everyone will have a wonderful Sunday and Happy Holidays!!!!

Happy Turkey Day

What a week it has been here in Dar. My week began by seeing tons and tons of statuses on Facebook talking about 2 and 3 day work week and people getting to spend Thursday with their families. At first I was sad especially at the short work week. I woke up Thursday and did not want to go to work, have never worked Thanksgiving in my life but I guess there is a first time for everything. Then I reminded myself that today is a day that we give thanks. So as I laid in bed that morning (trying to convince myself I must get up or I would be late) I thought about what I was truly thankful for this past year.....I am thankful that I have been given this amazing opportunity to do the thing that I love, I get to teach and it is even better because I have gotten the opportunity to do it half way around the world. So after I came to this realization I got up and got ready. That day at school it seemed like some of the students were a bit more energetic than usual but as a spent a majority of the day laughing or smiling, due to the silly things that my students do and say on a regular basis, I once again realized that working on Thanksgiving isn't that bad :) I ended my Thanksgiving with a Skype session with my family back home while I ate Subway. Then later that day I got to Skype with my best friend Jessica and her family. So even though the day was not a "traditional" Thanksgiving it was still a great day in its own unique way!

This week in school has been busy as I try to finish up a project I had been asked to work on, make my supplies list for term 2 and begin to work on end of the term reports. My goal for the week was to get everything finished so that I could do no school work this weekend. I almost achieved this goal but still have a few things to finish up later today. In other news I now have 3 animals in my classroom. Last week there was a lizard on my wall who I thought had disappeared but I was wrong. He decided to bring a friend so I now have 2 lizards that live in my classroom. they come out at times and scare me because it is usually when I am up in front of the class teaching and they decide to go running across the wall. I don't think I am scared of them but they tend to "catch me off guard". The other animals which I have yet to see but know it lives there due to my erasers being eaten and some food missing....I have come to the conclusion that I have a rat. My lesson for the week is to never say I want a class pet ever again!! When I said I wanted a class pet I was thinking fish, hamster, some like that not reptiles and rodents that come in through my window!!

This week was filled with lots of running around. My roommate and I decided a couple of months ago that we would have a traditional Thanksgiving meal and invite some of our close friends here in Dar to celebrate the day with us. So this week it was down to the wire I spent most evenings running around to different parts of Dar to get those last minute items to make the dinner a success. I learned that even though some of the things may not look the same or have the same name, they are quite similar to the items we would have bought in the states. On Friday I came home from school and started the preparations for the dinner. I typically would not have started this early but due to the random power cuts I had no choice. My first mission was this turkey weighing in at 6.4 kg (about 14 pounds). I had to make the stuffing first which took several trips back and forth to the neighbors (had to borrow an oven since we only have a double stove top burner). But finally the stuffing was prepped and ready. Next came stuffing the turkey......I am use to the extra parts being in a bag....nope they just put them back into the turkey so that was a bit disgusting but I managed to get all those parts out and the stuffing into the turkey! Next came finding a pan for the turkey....we had a bought a pan that we though would work perfectly but it did not fit into the oven.....so had to go to plan B and I used a casserole dish that was a bit two small but I made it work. The other challenge was back home we use a brown paper bag to cook the turkey in but did not have access to one here in Dar so I had to use a roasting bag(which was two small) so had to combine 3 of them and then cover the top in aluminum foil. But finally at around 6.00 pm the turkey was in the oven. Now the waiting began......it would need to cook for about 4.5 hours. This was the next challenge, I typically go to bed around 9.30 so staying up until 10.30 or 11 is quite difficult especially after a long and exhausting week. I took a few short nap but managed to stay up. I removed the turkey a little before 10.30. Then it came time to use the broth and make gravy. Mission accomplished for day 1 and the power managed to stay on the whole time the turkey was in the oven.

Day 2 began quite early. I got up around 6 and began to make two pies, pumpkin and apple. Just as I began the preparations the power cut. I thought for a minute on what to do. I decided to just keep making the pies with the hopes that the power would not be out too long. Good thing I did because just as I was preparing to finish the pumpkin pie, the power came back. I then was able to successfully cook both pies without the power cutting again. After finishing the pies and some other little preparations I decided it was time for a brief hour nap. Bad idea when it came time to get up I realized how exhausted I really was and did not want to get back out of bed. Over the next few hours I made the mashed potatoes, deviled eggs (which I realized this morning never made it to the table yesterday), green bean casserole, and warming up the turkey, stuffing and gravy. My roommate made the sweet potato casserole. Finally at around 2.00 pm all of the items made it to the table and the guest began to arrive.

We began dinner with going around and saying the different things that we are thankful for in our lives. For most of us it was our first year out of school so we were thankful for getting a job that related to our degree. Then it was time to eat. It was quite funny seeing the looks and listening to the questions as everyone filled their plates. There was a lot of "what is this" but our rule was you had to put a little of everything on your plate and give it a try! Everyone was a good sport and followed the rule :) For the most part everyone liked all of the food. Even though it was different, still good. Following dinner we just spent time talking and reminiscing about different things. It was fun to just sit back and relax!

Last night as I sat on the couch after everyone departed I had time to reflect on this past year. The year has been like a roller coaster ride with lots of ups and downs. If you would have asked me last year where I see myself in a year, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania would not have been my answer. Over the past 6 months things have changed. I graduated and took a chance. And 3 months ago I moved to a country I had never been to but had spent endless hours researching. I love my life here in Dar despite the random power cuts, water shortages, animals that have made my classroom their home, and traffic jams. But most of all I love my job and the people that I have met because of my job. I think it is always hard to move to a new place and start over. But I am truly blessed to have met the people I have over the past 3 months and couldn't have asked for better people to share my Thanksgiving traditions with! So needless to say my first Thanksgiving on my own and in another country was a complete success!

Powerless Week

Greetings!

Battery Powered Fan...Wonderful during power cuts!

Candle light has become a part of my everyday life...

As I stated in my last post we had had power for about two weeks without any cuts (at least when I was home...they may have still been occurring while I was at school)  so I was nervous as to what the week would bring....my gut feeling was right or maybe I just jinxed myself. This past week the power cuts have been terrible!!! No power Monday came back around 22.30 and was on until morning; Tuesday no power when we got home from school and was still out when we left for school Wednesday morning; Wednesday night it was on when we got home but cut around 23.00 and was still out Thursday morning when we left for school; Thursday it came back around 18.30 and we had it all night and it was still on when we left for school Friday morning; No power when we got home Friday morning but it came back around 23.30 and was on until 11 on Saturday morning and was in and out all day yesterday. I try to not get frustrated when the power goes out because I know that I can survive without it but it sure makes life a lot more comfortable when we do have it! I think my biggest frustration this week was when it was out during the night because then it messed with my sleep schedule....difficulty sleeping because of all of the noises outside of my window and waking up when the power cut or came back due to the noise changes...needless to say I have survived the week and I think part of the reason it was a bit easier was because I was at school during the day and thankfully we have generator there!!! The positive side of the power cuts is my roomie and I got to have some awesome talks, cooking by candle light and lots of reading time. The crazy thing about the power cuts is they usually occur with the less rain that we receive. Over the past few weeks it has rained... A LOT!! and there has been a lot of flooding so hopefully the power cuts will improve with all of the rain...

As I begin to prepare to go home in just 4 short weeks I think about how the transition is going to be a difficult one in ways. I am leaving a world that is so different than the world I was raised in but a world that has become my new home. The United States economy is having difficulties and I used to think it was terrible seeing the toll it was taken on people (and I still think this) but then I move to Tanzania and my eyes were opened a bit more. Yes things are rough back home in the states but things are much rougher here. Seeing people struggle on a daily basis can be quite difficult at times and I am not sure if it is something I will ever get use to. Living in Tanzania has changed me and my outlook on life. A few weeks ago I was having a conversation with a friend and the question came up..."what are 5 things you can not live with out...." What a tough question to answer. As I thought about my answer I began to realize how my answer today would have been different from my answer 4 months ago. I realized that the things I can not live without are simply things. My response was : my water bottle, my cell phone or computer to communicate with people back home and here, music and headphones, my support system (family and friends), my faith in God....

I still remember the crazy looks and questions I got as I told me family and friends about the decision I had made to move to Tanzania for a teaching job. I know that some of my family and friends still think this. But on the day of my departure my mom handed me a letter that said a lot of things but there was one part that meant a lot, " I hope you understand that I only want what is best for you. You are a great daughter and even better person and because of that I know that you will go far and do big things in your life." With those 2 sentences I knew that my mom supported me and even though it was extremely hard to watch me walk away to get onto a plane that will take me half way across the world. She let me go. She let me follow my dreams even if it meant only getting to talk to me a couple of times a week and see me once or twice a year for the next few years. So I am following my dreams and couldn't be happier with the decision I have made. Some days are tough and I really miss my friends and family but I just remind myself of the amazing opportunity I have been given!

This weekend has been a very lazy one so far. After a very sleepless week and a stressful week between school and other things going on I have just wanted to do nothing but lounge around all weekend. Today I need to get some things finished for school and go to the market and grocery store but other than that I will be just relaxing.

In a couple of weeks we have a 3 day weekend so I am already looking forward to that and more than likely will be spending the day at the beach. And the week after that I will be heading home for my very short visit.....which is two weeks from the day I fly out of Dar to the day I return to Dar. Which is going to be spent flying to and from the States, flying to Texas for the weekend of Christmas and getting all 4 of my wisdom teeth cut out (which I am really beginning to get nervous about) so my trip home is going to be a whirlwind trip but luckily I will get to see a majority of my family and friends which is all that matters :)

Well I think that is all that I have to update on for now. I hope y'all will have a wonderful Sunday!

Another Week Flies By....

Another week as quickly passed by. It was a short school week as we had Monday and Tuesday off due to Midterm break. My roommate and I took full advantage of this on Monday by heading to the island, Bongoyo. It was a much needed day of relaxation. Unfortunately I thought it would be a good idea to wait to put sunscreen on when I arrived on the island. I will just say that I have learned my lesson. My and the African sun do not quite get along and 30 minutes in the direct sunlight leads to a terrible sunburn on my face and back. From now on I will be putting sunscreen on before I depart from my apartment and reapplying it frequently throughout the day! Other than the sunburn it was a perfect day. The sun was warm, the water was fantastic and the skies were blue....not much more a person could ask for :) On the island you can do hiking and snorkeling....we did not do that this time but I plan on doing some snorkeling during my next trip to the island.

When it came time to return on Wednesday my alarm seemed to go off a bit to early or maybe it was just the fact that I was not ready to wake up at 5.15 again. It felt like the break was far too short especially since our next break is the holiday break. But I still managed to make it through the week which turned out to not be too bad as I am finally getting caught up with everything from being out sick a couple of weeks ago! This week will be a busy week as well as we have parent teacher conferences during the day. These will take place during my planning periods which means there will probably being a few late nights at school to get done what I typically get done during my planning periods. But then it will be the weekend again :) I am learning that during my weekends I am doing less and less around Dar because all I want to do is relax. Hopefully I will get back into a routine soon and start to venture out in Dar some more.

I think it is getting harder to be away from home the closer we get to the holidays. It does not even feel like November (I think because it is hot and not cold) As I see everyone making plans for getting together during Thanksgiving break it makes me a bit sad but then I remind myself that I will be home in about 5 weeks. And as most of you know  I am the count down queen so as it gets closer I will really begin the count down :) On a positive note my roommate and I have decided to make Thanksgiving dinner here in Dar. I am really excited to get to share our American and family traditions with some of our wonderful friends here in Dar! One of my awesome friend  has brought back some items from the States when he was back for a business trip that will be necessary to make the dinner a success and another friend has been working on getting a turkey for the dinner. It is great to have help from them to find the items that are not typically found here. We have decided to do the dinner on a Saturday afternoon since it takes so much time and preparation to make the dinner.....for some reason the schools here do not get Thanksgiving or the day after off....not quite sure why that is.....

Today I have also decided to start a bucket list after being inspired by some fellow friends who have created one. It has been fun thinking of the different goals and dreams that I want to achieve during my life. I think it also gives me something to really work towards during the upcoming years. Hopefully I will continue to add to the list over the years but also will get to cross many items off of the list :)

We also have been have quite good luck when it comes to power rations which makes me a bit nervous for the next week because there always seems to be a bad period after the good period but maybe this time it will be different! Over the past few days it has really been raining a lot which I don't quite care fore except for when I don't have to work and can lounge around or during the night time and I can sleep but I also know that the land and plants really need the rain lately so it is a good thing for that.

I hope everyone will have a wonderful Sunday!