Cha-cha-cha-changes

I haven’t written a blog post in months, mainly because I felt like I haven’t done anything for months. However, that is a complete lie. A lot has happened in the past few months and my lack of posting is due to the fact that I am still processing everything.

I left Lehututu on October 14th and moved to Gaborone to start my “3rd year”

My closest friends went back to America to continue on with their lives while I remained behind. You know that empty feeling when you break up with your significant other? I felt like that. I just broke up with 20 people all at one time.

As I was struggling to adjust to “city life” my friends were struggling to adjust to life back in America. We were all in dark places just on different sides of the ocean. In my mind, my transition wasn’t going to be that hard--I was still in Botswana--so how much adjusting is needed?

So long hiking spot! 

I was completely wrong, my life was turned up side down. For the first month, I wished I hadn’t extended....Then things started to change, I bought a bike, joined a gym and found some footing in my new job. We put on a summer camp for 60 plus kids and I made new friends....

My new bike! 

 I am on my month long home leave, in this past month, I feel that I have lost everything that I worked hard to build. This time 7 days from now, I will be on my way back to Botswana. I don’t know how I am going to muster the strength to get on that plane. This trip home has been wonderful and horrible all at the same time. I have had meaningful conversations with old friends and cried in bathrooms over things that will be funny in a few years.








I do have exiting things in my life--like my new shower head. Ain’t she a beauty! Hot water too! Even a pool! And I don’t have to go outside to go to the bathroom...or even pee in a bucket anymore!

Gaborone is beautiful too...in its own way. I don’t have chickens waking me up at 3am on the dot every morning. I can go have coffee with friends or happy hour on Fridays, watch movies or go shopping with out lugging my months worth of groceries home. With all the wonders of city life, I am no longer Bonolo, leaving behind that identity was (and is) bittersweet.