Just making a list.

I haven't written on here in over a year.  Well, you all know what happened in 2020 so I don't really need to go back and tell that story.  Then there's 2021.  It's the last day of April already.  I haven't wanted to do much sharing on here, well, because it's not been so easy.  For all of us.  I am still around though.  Living in Lusaka.  I started a new job.  I still teach yoga.  I am trying to remind myself to be grateful.  So today I will make a list of 3 things I am grateful for and tomorrow I will wake up and make another list.  

All the feelings.

A couple weeks ago I went to South Africa for a day before heading on to Mozambique to meet up with my amazing friend who will be getting married there towards the end of the year.  It was a nice little break but for some reason I was feeling emotional.  I had this nostalgic moment as we were landing in Johannesburg.  I came here as a Peace Corps Volunteer 10 years ago.  10 years?  That's a long time.  I've been looking back on this blog and remembering all the things.  I'm so glad I've kept this journal of sorts here because it's given me this tangible place to return to when I want to reflect (plus I have a really terrible memory)!  

Christmas in Zambia.

Last year I stayed in Zambia for the holidays.  I thought maybe I would be lonely or sad that I wasn’t getting out of town, but it actually turned out to be a nice, quiet time.  So, I did it again this year.  I do like traveling around the holidays but it’s just so stressful (and expensive).  Instead,  I’ve just been working, dog sitting, watching Netflix (I started the series Prison Break which now that I’m telling you this it doesn’t sound very Christmas-y but I’m really loving it anyway), and getting some extra massages and pedicures.  I helped cooked a turkey for the first time on Christmas day which is kind of strange because I’m a vegetarian but I’m enjoying cooking for the first time in my life and it was also made better by drinking some mimosas (and I did cook other veg dishes)!  It would have been lovely to be with family and if I could easily have gotten myself home in a couple of hours then of course I would have done it but sometimes wherever you go, there you are, right?  And Zambia is my home right now.  I mentioned this a few posts ago, but this will be a decade (10 years!!!) that I’ve been living abroad.  That’s sort of unbelievable to me.  I’m not sure what 2020 will bring but I know it will be a memorable year.  I don’t really make new year’s resolutions, but I like the idea of the new year bringing about new beginnings and creating new stories to tell.  So I'll continue to enjoy my holiday time in Zambia this year because who knows what my story will look like next year?!     

Yoga Magic.

I am starting to feel that my involvement in these yoga weekends is a bit selfish.  Being able to hold space with a group of amazing people, in the most beautiful place and share time together that is just so easy.  It's magical. 

I'll stop posting about this yoga stuff...I promise.  

The Greek Life.

I haven’t traveled much this year so was really looking forward to a break.  I talked to my mom at the beginning of the year about taking a trip and she was on board with joining me for a travel adventure.  I was surprised to hear that my sister was also eager to join.  Not because she doesn’t love to travel but because she literally has one million commitments in her life.  But a few months later I was super excited that it was now a thing and we were making it happen.  Little did I know that I was to become a travel agent in the making! 

We decided to go to Greece because, well, it’s Greece, and it was relatively “central” from all of us although I ended up traveling 20+ hours (why isn’t anything close or easy to get to from Africa)?  Anyway, my mom and sister decided they would let me make the decisions about where we should stay and which islands to visit which was an interesting approach because I know nothing about Greece. While it actually turned out to be sort of fun doing all the planning, I did feel a bit of pressure.  Luckily, and mom and sister if you are reading this you can never speak the truth, I think my choices turned out okay.  There were a few missteps (aside from a cancelled ferry trip due to some crazy windy weather), I might have changed the fact that we went in high tourist season.  We were surrounded by tourists everywhere which I personally did not love.  I know that Greece is a popular destination, but I would recommend going when it is not so busy although maybe that never happens?  I just found the crowds a bit overwhelming.  We went to Athens, Naxos and Santorini.  Of course, everything was still beautiful and amazing, but you were just surrounded by people.  Everywhere.    

It was all an adventure though which is what you want when you travel somewhere new.  We visited the Acropolis in Athens, spent the day on the beach in Naxos, took the ferry (a few times and now are probably experts), enjoyed some tzatziki (okay, lots of tzatziki) and saw some pretty amazing sunsets in Santorini.

Thanks, Greece, for a holiday that didn’t disappoint us or your millions of other fans. 

More Yoga.

It does seem like I’m talking about yoga on here a lot?  I’ve made a really special connection with a lodge here in Zambia called The Royal Zambezi (www.royalzambezilodge.com).  If you ever come to Zambia, I will take you to this magical place. 

I’ve taught a couple of yoga retreats at this lodge and did one again last month.  All of them have been great but this was just over-the-top good.  I’ve already raved about the lodge, but I also had an amazing group of powerful, interesting, courageous women who connected really well with each other and were just that fun to be around!  I am not the most flexible or most profound and definitely don’t know all there is to know about every aspect or limb of yoga but I love teaching yoga. Being in the company of such great women reminded me that we are all great teachers and also hopefully great students.  Thank you, universe, for a much needed weekend. 

Lamu Yoga Festival

I finally got out of town in 2019!  I was feeling a little blue…we call them the Lusaka blues here.  I love Zambia and am quite content but breaks are a necessity.  I suppose that’s true anywhere you live. Anyway, I had heard about this yoga festival from a friend that takes place off the coast of Kenya on a little island called Lamu and was intrigued.  It looked legitimate although I had just watched the documentary on Netflix about the whole Fyre Festival (if you haven't watched you definitely need to!) so was a little bit skeptical about flying to some remote island for a festival.  But, I’m here to say that we survived and there was actually a semi-organized festival (I mean we are in Africa so I was expecting a minimal amount of chaos). 

To get to this island we had to take two flights and a boat ride.  There aren’t any cars on the island.  But there are lots of donkeys.  The majority of the island's population is Muslim and we saw some of the most beautiful mosques.  The yoga classes were sort of spread out throughout the island so you never felt like it was too packed and it was fun to see and experience a bunch of different spaces and classes.  It was very hot so most of the classes were pretty sweaty but it was manageable.  I took my first Acro Yoga class (so fun!), learned how to do a little Thai Yoga massage, played around doing some SUP Yoga (this is where you do yoga on a surf board) and then did some fun flow classes.  It really was a great week despite a few minor glitches and I’d recommend checking it out if you ever make it to this side of the world (www.lamuyoga.org).  I did learn that Kenya is quite the hot spot for yoga (much more than Zambia) so if I ever need a little yoga fix I know where to go!

We also spent a couple of days in Nairobi which was interesting.  That city is hectic!  It’s just so big.  It took us several hours to navigate the city (although we were stopping to shop along the way) and I enjoyed seeing another part of Africa.  If you don't already know this…Africa is huge! :) 

Almost a decade in Africa.

I have spent almost a decade in Africa.  I left the states in January of 2010 and I'm feeling quite sentimental about this for some reason (just wait ‘til I actually hit the 10-year mark).  That’s a long time.  When I got on that plane in 2010, I never thought that it would lead to this…that I would make a life for myself so far away from my family and friends.  There are things that I have definitely missed (and I’ve probably written about these on here at some point) but I also can’t imagine being  anywhere else right now.  I decided to stay in Lusaka for the holidays and enjoyed some quiet time with a few friends and this is just what I needed.  I’m ready to start the new year…and lookout 2020.  You never know what’s around the 10-year corner. 

London. Paris. Washington DC. And Back to Zambia.

It’s September!  How did that happen?  I haven’t posted here since June.  I just came back from an amazing weekend of teaching some yoga and figured it was time to get back on the blogging.  It’s always difficult to go back in time though and figure out what I should tell y’all on here (because I know you have been anxiously awaiting my next post).  But I’ll pick out a few of the good bits to share.

At the beginning of July, I went to London and Paris.  Not so bad?  I met a friend from the states there and we made the most of our 5 day holiday.  We shopped, ate lots of good food, and did an incredible amount of walking (to shop and eat).  I hadn’t seen her in a couple of years and it was mostly lovely to just hang out!  I did manage to get stuck on the train back from Paris to London for many long hours (where they only fed us Twix bars for some odd reason), and then missed my flight back to Lusaka.  I eventually got back but it was a real process. Sometimes I have to remind myself how much I love traveling.  Sigh.    

In August, I went back to the states for a wedding!  My friend from Peace Corps was getting married so I decided it was necessary to make the trek back.  While seeing her so incredibly happy was worth it, I can’t say that I love making that journey across the ocean more than once in a year (again, the reminder to myself that I love traveling).  But, I did get to see some amazing friends (including my mom!), spend time in a city I’ve never been to before (can you believe this American had never been to Washington DC before?) and drink an incredible amount of chai tea.     

Since then I’ve been back in Zambia.  It’s getting very hot.  Although I shouldn’t complain.  I now have a lovely air conditioner in my bedroom and the power cuts are minimal.  This last weekend I also got to to lead a lovely group at a yoga retreat at one of the most amazing lodges on the Lower Zambezi.  I’d have to say life is pretty good. 

Saying goodbye.

I visited home in March and got to see my almost 92-year-old Grandmother.  While her body seemed to be failing her, that mind of hers was quite sharp.  She loved hearing about my life and I know, more than anything, she would have loved to come visit.  I wish I could have made that happen somehow and, now, I regret not making more of an effort to send her videos and pictures of the things I was seeing so that she could experience them as well.  I honestly think that’s why she loved this silly little blog of mine (as I’ve mentioned she was one of my few followers) because it gave her a chance to see what my life was like…I will miss sharing a little bit of my world with you here, Grandmother.  I love you.  

Kuomboka Revisited.

When I lived in Mongu in 2013 I had the opportunity to attend my first Kuomboka ceremony.  Kuomboka is a traditional ceremony held in Western Province where the Lozi people move from the plains (which become flooded during the rainy season) to higher areas.  It's steeped in tradition and pretty amazing so I decided it was time for a return visit.  Since I wasn’t living in Mongu this time the logistics of getting to Western Province for the weekend proved more challenging.  Turns out Western Province is kinda far?  Well, me and 9 of my closest friends piled into 3 cars and left town on Friday afternoon in what would turn out to be another great African adventure.  In the first hour, one of the cars broke down and we had to push it to a nearby church and we then piled into the remaining 2 cars.  Delayed by a few hours, we proceeded to drive on some of the worst roads I’ve seen in a long time (I’m talking gigantic potholes which swallowed your entire car).  After almost 9 hours we made it to Mongu around midnight on Friday evening.  Don’t worry because we were still excited to wake up early to participate in the boat ride so that we could see the Nalikwanda depart on its journey across the floodplains.  It took some negotiating to find a boat to take all 10 of us and we still ended up with some random local kids (and apparently a “famous” rapper) on our small boat (which seemed to also have a slow leak and was just probably generally very unsafe) but we did manage to find the Nalikwanda which was pretty spectacular.  

We did make it back without our small boat tipping over or filling up with water so we celebrated by spending the afternoon eating some local cuisine at my favorite local hangout before setting out to see the Nalikwanda “dock” in what can only be described at organized chaos.  People hanging in trees, stampeding to catch a glimpse of the king, and a few random people falling into the water.  But we pulled it off and, man, did I really enjoy having a cold beer at the end of the day while watching the sun go down...I have to say that Mongu has some of the most amazing sunsets I've ever seen.

And luckily we only had to drive a short 9 hours home the next day. 

Oh, Zimbabwe.

Over the Easter holiday, we decided to take a quick trip to Zimbabwe.  We didn’t do much planning but thought we could get away with just winging it…I mean we have lived in Africa for a while, haven’t we?  Can't you just show up to another African country and figure things out?  

Well, turns out this is not always the best idea.  Things like visas and money and, well, generally figuring out the basics.  For example, we arrived to find all the ATMs were no longer working so we quickly had to run around and rent a tiny (green as you can see from the pictures) car so we wouldn’t have to deal with cash (since we had none) to get around.  I was nominated to drive since most rental cars in Africa are manual.  With my trusty navigator by my side (and only killing the car a couple of times since I was a bit out of practice with my manual driving) we made our way to our hotel which, despite getting rave reviews, turned out to be, well, not so amazing.  

In the end (after downing a few gin and tonics), we decided trips that aren't perfect are oftentimes the most memorable.  How can you forget falls in the mud, cancelled flights, running over rocks, mildew smelling rooms, and pangolins?  It's always an adventure in Africa which is why we love it!       

Expat Living.

My youngest nephew reminded me that I have seen him exactly 3 times since he has been born.  He is now 7 years old.  I am one of the worst aunties ever.  But what made it even more terrible is that he was so amazing and sweet and loved me like I had never been gone during my most recent visit.  He even started plotting my return to America.  Asking his mom (my sister) why I didn’t live there and insisting they come to help me pack my things up in Africa so that I could move into the house next door in 2019.  Yes, I had a little bit of guilt.

This is what I miss about living in America.  I can’t say that I miss the intensity.  I got off the plane and immediately was yelled at for being in the wrong queue (after being told that I was in the right queue by a different person).   It’s hard to be back and not have an intense reaction (both good and bad) to everything.  Sometimes I would just exist in this state of shock and not be able to make a decision.  Or I had the opposite reaction and bought everything in sight.  I mean I really needed one thousand hair ties, right? 

I was home for 2 weeks and went to Colorado, Arizona, Louisiana and New York (2 times).  Since I've been back in Lusaka, people have been asking if I feel “rested.”  No, not really.  I feel sad that I didn’t get to see some friends and like I should have spent more time…with everyone.  Life as an expat is not always perfect but it does come with some pretty amazing benefits.  I will just have to remind myself of all the reasons why I love living here when I’m not as depressed and tired and don't miss my friends and family so much.  

I did post some pictures over there so take a look.  Love to everyone and miss you all!  

Loving Lower Zam.

Let me list the things that I love about weekends in Lower Zam:

• It’s not too far from Lusaka 
• Eating lots of yummy food
• Being near the water (swimming pools and river cruises)
• Hanging out with friends
• No cell phone reception
• Hippos and elephants and crocs oh my
• Drinking (responsibly of course) and not having to drive anywhere
• Not worrying about what I look like and wearing yoga clothes all weekend

We celebrated a friend’s birthday this past weekend and it was really…great. 😊

Holidays in Zanzibar.

The last time I was in Zanzibar I was a Peace Corps volunteer.  Being a Peace Corps volunteer is fantastic in so many ways but it does typically mean you are always doing budget traveling which can be an adventure.  This time, I went to Zanzibar as a certified Public Health professional (aka, I had a job)!  Not that I didn’t have a fabulous time the last time I was in Zanzibar but it was just different.  This time, I flew to Zanziber (last time I took a ferry) and met up with friends from Mozambique.  We stayed in a lovely hotel (last time I shared a room with my Peace Corps friends…as you do when you are volunteers), played in the most amazing white sand beaches and blue water, and lounged around some pretty spectacular swimming pools.  We also ventured into Stone Town for a couple of days and went on a private spice tour (which I couldn’t afford last time), shopped in the streets and watched the sun set over the ocean at some amazing locations. 

The reality is that I do sort of miss my Peace Corps days.  The intensity of always trying to figure out how we were going to get to the next place and feeling like every day was an adventure.  But it’s also nice not to travel with that huge backpack or wake up with a nasty case of bedbugs.

Happy 2018 everyone!       

Elephant Charge.

I recently participated in the 2017 Elephant Charge.  I didn’t know what I was getting into when my friend asked me to participate in this annual event that takes place to raise money for wildlife conservation here in Zambia.  I thought it would be a fun weekend get-away camping with friends as we drove around on some dirt roads in the bush.  Well, turns out the whole event is a bit more extreme than I anticipated (and it also turns out that I am much more suited for activities where my feet are planted firmly on the ground).  The objective is to drive the shortest distance through a set of checkpoints in a set amount of time and finish without tipping over your car, getting stuck, or dying (well, you get my point).  I'm happy to report our team did actually finish and win a small prize (we were a new team with the shortest distance).  After a bit of reflection (and being so thankful to be alive) I have to admit it was sorta fun.  

This whole event is done every year to raise money for wildlife conservation in Zambia so if you are interested in donating please visit the website (www.elephantcharge.org) and donate through our team (Hard Okra).  

And you can see some of our pics over there to the right...

Practicing Gratitude.

I feel really lucky that this is my life.  Not that I don’t have frustrations but when I step back and look at the opportunity I’ve been given, how can I be anything other than grateful?  Here are a few pictures from this weekend where we went to a lodge just a few hours away from Lusaka (www.royalzambezilodge.com) and saw some amazing animals, practiced a little yoga and spent lots of time relaxing.  

  

Mom and Dad in Zambia.

Over the Easter holiday my parents came for a visit.  My mom visited me when I lived in South Africa but this was my dad’s first time in Africa.  I was trying to remember my feelings the first time I came to Africa and it was both exciting and, frankly, sorta scary.  After living here for so long it seems silly to even admit because it’s just so normal now but when you have no idea what to expect, scary is understandable...another language (although luckily Zambia makes it pretty easy with that), the landscape, different currency, driving on the wrong side of the road.  Everything is just a little different especially when you haven't experienced it before?  Well, I’m proud to say that both of my parents are now quite comfortable and seem to like my little home here in Zambia.  I mean I didn’t expect that they wouldn’t but I have to admit that I was a bit stressed out because, well, I love this place so much and wanted them to like it as much as I do. 

We visited the mighty Victoria Falls which was crazy full due to the high amounts of rainfall this year.  My mom even braved walking across the Knife Edge Bridge and we got “misted” (or rather drenched) with lots and lots of water.  My father loved watching the monkeys try to scope out ways to steal food from the tables every morning at the lodge.  The drive to and from Livingstone was also an adventure as my parents learned that all roads are not created equal.  Potholes, people and many not so well-behaved trucks adorned the road.  We survived the trip though with only a flat tire and then decided to fly to our next destination in the eastern part of Zambia.  South Luangwa National Park did not disappoint.  We saw all kinds of animals including wild dogs, elephants, leopards (my parents can tell you about their exciting experience of seeing a leopard kill an impala and drag it up a tree), lions and soooo many baboons.  I mean hundreds of them.  It was a special Easter weekend. 

I also just dragged them around Lusaka to meet my friends and experience my everyday “normal” life.  We went to dinner with friends, a birthday party “braai”, and just lounged around my flat.  It was nice for them to know that my life here in Zambia is pretty normal.  I think they enjoyed it so much that they might even come back for another visit someday??  Although braving the 30+ hour travel probably will keep them away for a while.  Thanks, mom and dad, for making the trek!  And…I love you.  

Indian Weddings and One Night (okay, several nights) in Bangkok.

I went to India for the first time over the Christmas holiday.  It was amazing.  Maybe it was because I went for a friend’s wedding and was surrounded by a fantastic group of people (plus I got to see two wonderful people say "I do" or at least I think that’s what they said since the actual wedding ceremony was in Hindi).  There was something about the vibrancy, organized chaos, intensity, food, people.  Sadly, I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked to enjoy the city of Mumbai so I definitely will be back.  The wedding really was the main focus of my visit although we managed to do a bit of sightseeing.  The friend who got married had lived in Zambia a few years ago so there were a few of us that represented her "Zambian days."  She was kind enough to prepare a “Survival Kit” for those of us who were attending an Indian wedding for the first time.  It included information about the traditional ceremonies and what to expect at each one (this was very helpful).  I’ll give you a brief rundown:

Sangeet ceremony is a wedding tradition observed in India that involves singing, dancing and music. The sangeet with the mehndi ceremony, which is the ritual of applying henna (mehndi) to the bride in preparation for the wedding itself were combined at this wedding.  

Wedding ceremony is the main ceremony, the priest, groom, bride and bride's parents sit beneath a mandap, a canopy similar to a Jewish chuppah. The ceremony starts off with the kanya daan, in which the bride's parents give her away. Then the couple joins hands and circles around a small, enclosed fire (the agni) in a ritual called the phera. Then the couple will take the saptapadi, or seven steps, as they vow to support each other and live happily together. Finally, the groom will apply a red powder to the center of the bride's forehead and tie a necklace around her neck, symbolizing she's now a married woman.

Reception ceremony is celebrated after the main wedding. It is the first public appearance of the newlywed couple after their marriage and is sort of a grand party. This is a celebration time for both the families as they rejoice over their new accord. Reception parties are laid with sumptuous food to treat the guests.

We had a grand time enjoying and being part of all of these events and embraced every minute including wearing our traditional Indian attire!  Oh, and one of my favorite parts?!  The chai masala tea.  I mean I loved chai tea before but this?!  Sigh.  So, so good.   

I was also able to squeeze in some time in Thailand which was equally pretty great.  For the past several years I have traveled for New Year’s with my friend Heather to random places across the world.  This year we met in Thailand and I got to meet her and her husband's new baby girl (she is the adorable baby in all of the pictures).  We spent some time enjoying the beaches near Krabi…this was before everyone got food poisoning (except me since luckily I don't eat seafood, thank goodness)!  But after everyone recovered we flew from Krabi to Bangkok.  I wish I also had more time in Bangkok. While, yes, the pollution was terrible everything else was wonderful.  The city was vibrant and loud and the shopping was fantastic.  So many places I want to go back to and also to visit for the first time?  How does one fit all this traveling into such a short lifetime?  

I hope all my friends and family had a wonderful holiday and am wishing you all a happy, happy 2017!

Thanksgiving and African Safaris.

Can you believe this was the 5^th year I've celebrated Thanksgiving in Zambia?  Well, believe it because it's true.  I was able to spend time with friends eating some traditional Thanksgiving food like turkey (so I'm still waiting for the day I can get tofurkey here), stuffing, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie.  I also had the opportunity to spend the weekend tackling another tradition.   This one more African of sorts.  The safari.  There is a national park in Zambia that I had yet to visit so my friend and I decided this was the weekend to go.  Kafue National Park.  The largest national park in Zambia and the second largest in Africa.  We had high hopes of viewing amazing wildlife such as lions, cheetahs, elephants, wild dogs, zebra, leopards.  Then we got to the park.  And we saw none of these animals.  It rained the entire weekend and we only managed to see a lot of bugs.  Including the dreaded tsetse fly which I frankly don’t want to see again.  Actually, we did manage to see one very angry elephant who was particularly protective of her young elephant family.  I’ve never seen such a protective mama.  She trumpeted and charged our vehicle which I’ve never had happen before…the one exciting event in a very rainy and bug filled weekend.  

As we were driving home from our Thanksgiving/African safari weekend I was thinking how much these two very different things have become part of my world.  I love that I'm able to still celebrate with traditions from home and also engage in new ways of seeing the world.  It can be hard sometimes living away from the things you've known all your life.  But I also believe that when you do there is a richness, a vibrancy, a greater awareness that starts to shape your days (and years)!  And for this I am thankful. 

Sunrise in Kafue National Park