Tanzania? Hamna Shida

It's been about three weeks in Tanzania now and it doesn't feel like I'm in Africa. I guess I just expected to constantly feel like I am on another continent, but it doesn't feel like I'm thousands of miles away from my friends and family. However, I am reminded when my Swahili isn't good enough to break the language barrier between my host family and me.

 It's also been three weeks of my personal identity being slowly taken away. Peace Corps restricts your clothing, personal style, and hair so much that it counteracts their goal of showing what Americans are like. I was forced to shave my head and I've been bitching about it for the past 24 hours, and will probably continue to bitch until it grows back. I'm having a really fun time giving up the ability to express who I am and how I live, but it'll get better at site when rules aren't so strict.

My host mama is great and makes the best cup of chai I've ever had, which is all I can really ask for. She's teaching me all of her chai secrets so I can mass produce this shit and make millions, but I don't have the muscle to hand grind that many spices. She's all about the personal hygiene so I shower every morning and every night, which is honestly the worst part of Tanzania so far.  Also, she likes Kanye and has a picture of him on her wall. So she's basically a boss ass bitch and I love her. My sister is also a bad ass that likes Nicki Minaj and Rihanna so it's safe to say we are friends. I'm going to introduce her to the wonders of Beyoncé as soon as she is ready for her life to change (for the better). I haven't had a lot of interactions with my dad, but I guess he had malaria. I'm not sure if he was being dramatic when he told me that or if I had my first malaria witnessing. Either way he sleept behind the living room couch for a couple of days. I guess that did the trick.

Training so far has been 85% pointless. Thank god there are some good people around to get me through it. I'm just stoked to get to my site, and to make some awesome American influenced Tanzanian dishes. Chapati burritos every day. Not so stoked to leave the people I've been getting close to though. 

Complaints: I need cheese, I want pizza, I have zero free time, and the bathroom situation absolutely sucks when you're pee shy.

Otherwise everything is perfect. I don't know where I'd rather be in my life right now. Im 22 with no one to hold me back. I'm finally living in Africa, which I've wanted for as long as I can remember. I'm going to be working to empower communities and the students in them. This is an opportunity so many more should experience, and I'm so grateful to be here.