What I Learned in Tanzania

It goes without saying that I learned a lot during my six months abroad.  Here are a few…

1. If cooked with a little oil and salt, bugs can be really tasty. 
2. There’s a big difference in the freedom awarded from a knee-length skirt vs. an ankle length skirt.
3. A wedding just isn’t a wedding without three choirs.
4. In the absence of an ice chest, one can cool a warm soda by placing it in a wet sock, tying the sock to the car’s side mirror, and driving at 60 mph for twenty minutes.  (Seriously.  If it’s not illegal where you live, try it!)
5. Electricity is not a “need” or a “right.”
6. Singing while you work makes any task better.
7. If you’re creative enough—and have access to The Joy of Cooking—you can replicate just about any food…except s’mores.  And maybe sushi.
8. A metal shovel also serves as a school bell when struck with a rock.
9. There are few sights more powerful than watching a group of people sing their national anthem.
10. Delegation.  It’s a beautiful thing.
11. Don’t put your precious 1 kg bar of dark chocolate from Trader Joe’s next to your laundry detergent.  Soap-flavored chocolate is not tasty.
12. Masai gift-giving guide: raw meat is ALWAYS a win.  Unless it’s pork.
13. A bread knife is the best instrument for cutting foam mattresses.
14. If you don’t wash eggs, they can last over a month without refrigeration.  Eggs with bits of feathers and straw stacked on my kitchen counter came to be a beautiful sight.
15. There are few bad days that can’t be overcome with hugs from preschoolers.