Awake My Soul

The last month has been absolutely insane. My last week in Dombe and Chimoio in May was all preparation and anticipation. My trip in Americaland was finally upon me and the anxiety was starting to get to me. How would it be to visit Denver after nine months in Moçambique? How would I handle the reverse culture shock so widely talked about? Infinite questions ran through my head as I started the first leg of my journey.  I’ve traveled a lot since starting college and find flying relaxing. I can sleep almost anywhere and after traveling in country by chapa I was looking forward to 15 hours in a comfy airplane seat with someone bringing me my food and drinks and a personal TV screen to keep me entertained. I ended up sitting by a church group from Akron that was returning from a two week mission trip in Moz. They are doing some great sustainable work with two villages in the south of the country and the minister and I had some good discussions about foreign aid and personal spirituality. I didn’t end up sleeping much as I felt obligated to take advantage of the vast entertainment library in front of me. After landing in NYC at 6:00am, I promptly found a McDonalds and enjoyed my first of many fountain diet cokes (breakfast of champions). And as many of you can imagine my first stop in Denver was Chipotle.

I don’t think Denver has changed all that much since I left last September but being inundated with so many people (such diversity), traffic and options was a bit ridiculous. Going to a restaurant here in Moz is a crap shoot. You can’t get excited about anything on the menu until you speak with the waiter because usually only three things are actually available. But in America, you can basically have anything your little heart desires anywhere you go. It’s amazing! Speaking of options, who’s bright idea was it to introduce cafeteria/self-service style concessions at movie theaters? The theater at the Aurora Mall provided me with my first truly overwhelming experience that first Sunday as I spun circles in the aisle trying to figure out where I got my popcorn, if I could get my own drink and where in God’s name do I pay for this stuff? I almost walked out and sent my mom in. I was later assured that any normal person would be caught off guard by this new-fangled idea and felt a bit better. Those first days progressed smoothly as I got back behind the wheel of old Remily, caught up with Mem and Thomas, played a little indoor futebol and spent lots of quality time with family. Final preparations for my brother’s wedding started as the Virginia family came into town and a fair amount of good wine and beer was drunk.  The wedding itself was beautiful (I officially have a sister and nieces and a nephew now!) and the reception was quite the party. Ashlee looked gorgeous, the kids were adorable and I am beyond proud of my brother and how much he has grown over the past years.  I could go on forever recalling all the details but will end by saying that it was the perfect ceremony for my brother, Ashlee and their family and that I am so happy I could be there.

The next couple of days were spent with the VA family and the kids as the newlyweds jetted off on their honeymoon. I was still on a two hot showers a day kick and was nearly always stuffing myself full of lovely foods and drinks unavailable in the Dombe. The week ended with what is probably the best surprise I’ve ever had as Rachel and Kristin flew in from NC and Florida for the weekend! I thought we were going to the airport to pick up my uncle and his family (they actually were arriving later that day) and was beyond shocked to see these girls emerge from the escalator.  They had been planning this with my mom since March and due to their general lack of secret keeping skills had been forbidden to speak with me. I was of course wondering why my best friends were avoiding me during my short time in the states and was slightly offended. It was of course all worth it to have them with me for those couple of days. I got to show off my home state a bit, spoil Thomas some more as he turned the big one year old and celebrate my birthday with my favorite people in a low-key little gathering. It was an incredible weekend to say the least!

Week three was another hodgepodge of family, friends, food and wedding preparation as we counted down to my dad and Mary’s ceremony on Saturday. My uncle Steve cooked Thursday for Mary’s birthday and everyone was later mesmerized by stories from Mary’s mom Hildegard and her time in Germany during and after WWll and how she came to the U.S. to be a nanny as an 18 year old knowing no English. I could have listened all night and can’t wait to hear more once I return. On Friday most of us helped set up the reception hall at Regis and had the wedding rehearsal before enjoying my “special” spaghetti and meat sauce for dinner (it’s basically straight from the jar with tons of ground beef). Again lots of wine was drunk (have you noticed a pattern here?) and stories were swapped. The wedding was outside in a garden at Regis University where my dad and Mary both work and were they met. It was another beautiful ceremony that really embodied their relationship and lives of the bride and groom. I got to catch up with a lot of people for the final time at the reception and had some teary goodbyes in the parking lot after the Rosser side of the wedding party closed down the bar! (I'm lacking pictures from my Dad's wedding at this point but I'll get them eventually).





I just love other people's babies!



So much more happened in between those major events that I can’t really remember them all. Mom and I saw Mumford & Sons at the Fillmore (check out Matthew & the Atlas and Nathaniel Rateliff if you’re a fan of Mumford) and I was Mary’s date for Rock of Ages at the theater. I ate either 10 or 11 Chipotle burritos, had a wonderful sushi night with mom, Susan and Jordan, got to the zoo and aquarium, spent a couple hours in awe of super markets, Target and Costco and spent as much time as I could with Emmah, Amelia and Luke (shockingly, none of them wanted to return to Africa with me). Basically I had an incredible time and it went by way too fast. I had left all of my packing for Sunday morning but it kept me busy and wasn’t able to dread the idea of leaving all day. I was actually excited about getting back here but leaving my family is never easy.

And now I am safely back in Moçambique trying to mentally prepare myself to return to the Dombe. The culture shock hasn’t been too bad aside from my lack of patience for stupidly slow lines and inefficiency but I’ll get over that quickly and slip back into my life. Plus I’ve got lots of pictures and great memories to help me through those rough first days in the mato!                                                                                                                                    

Awake My Soul - Mumford & Sons (I'm particularly fond of the line "In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die. Where you invest your love, you invest your life")

Here et al

Somehow we've made it to June. I have no idea where April and May went but I'm not complaining because in about two days I will be back in Colorado for three glorious, action packed weeks with family and friends. I've got two weddings, a couple of birthdays (including my own), out of town family catch up with, new babies to meet, wine and good beer to drink and a whole lot of food to eat (the first stop after the airport is Chipotle). It will be amazing and exhausting and wonderful for sure.

I am obviously excited but as the last few weeks disappeared I have become more and more nervous. Maybe it’s more anxious than nervous but it’s that odd feeling in your stomach and restless nights but I associate with public speaking and major life changes. I have definitely had some of those changes the past eight months and this trip will be the first opportunity to see how these events have changed me as a person. I'm too close to it all here to see clearly but I imagine I'm not the same person that got on the plane in Denver last September. Aside from that, I'm also a bit nervous to be back in "Americaland" with all its noise, traffic, options and luxury. I've spent the last eight months in small cement houses, living out of my suitcase more or less, without electricity, taking bucket baths, using a latrine (it's not all bad!), cooking over carvão and traveling in less than ideal conditions. But that's my life and I love it. I love my little house, my housemate, my students, my friends, my neighbors and even that little town of Dombe 5km up the road. Its home.

But as this trip gets closer and closer I’m back wrestling with those familiar feelings of leaving one home for another. Colorado will always be home for me. My immediate family is there, some of my best friends are there, and my beloved Rocky Mountains are there. But Wilmington quickly became home when I started college. I had family there, new best friends and the Atlantic Ocean that has a permanent hold on my heart. Moving between the two was often hard as I felt torn between two very different places that I loved and where I felt safe. And then what did I do? I threw Maine into the equation as my restless nature kicked back in. This third home lacks that blood family tie but is by no means less important. I got more friends, more amazing experiences and new knowledge that set me off on my current path and to a new home on the other side of the world. A new home that the first three helped prepare me for because I know that at any given moment I have family and friends all over those great states of ours wishing me well, praying for my safety and keeping me in their hearts. And really what else could I ask for?

So back to the main dilemma here: what is it going to be like to go back to Colorado after eight months in Moçambique? Overwhelming? Probably. Hectic? Most definitely. Educational? On a personal level, yea. Worth the long hours traveling? Without a doubt. I get to be present at my brother’s wedding, my dad’s wedding and my best friend’s son’s first birthday. I get to meet both my cousin’s and one of my oldest and dearest friend’s babies. Throw in my 26^th birthday, a play, a concert, a massage (Gracias a Deus), a pedicure, a haircut, lots and lots of hot showers (hm, so that nice tan I’ve been getting is really a deeply imbedded layer of dirt. Who knew?), Chipotle, diet coke, sushi, wine, Target, washer-dryer cleaned clothes . . . oh I could go on and on with the benefits.

So, when does the plane leave again? Cause I wouldn’t miss this for the world!


Here et al - Ryan Montbleau Band