Day 4- September 1, 2016
Today, I finally landed in what was to be my home for the next 27 months. Simply put, I have no idea how this is going to transform me. I am overwhelmed. But, I am finally here and I feel excited. I feel sadness. I feel nostalgia for home. (BUT MOSTLY EXCITED!) Our van pulled up to the hotel and I think all of my cohort and I realized that we were gonna get a little taste of paradise before we began our training process. Our hotel was phenomenal by anyone’s standards: Hot showers, WiFi, great food, a huge pool, and a view of the ocean. It almost felt like I was on a dream vacation. That was until the first round of vaccinations… (I’m curious to know if anyone’s dream vacation includes shots. I’m fairly certain that I would not easily become friends with that person.) These shots were in addition to all of the shots we had already received back in the states. But, I suppose I would rather be safe than sorry!
On another note, today is the day I finally decided on the blog title seen above! In a nutshell, I think it is an accurate description of my concerns for living in MOZambique. (Just in case anyone was still a little confused on why it is somewhat clever J. Also, before arriving here, I personally didn’t realize that volunteers in Mozambique were known as MOZ volunteers.)
Tonight was the first time since I left Birmingham that I had a moment where I was completely relaxed. At dinner, about 8 other volunteers and I made a really dumb joke but treated it as if it were way funnier than it actually was. In that moment, I felt happy. I felt like the other volunteers could be my community. I know it may sound silly, but I’ve been telling myself that interacting with people was one of my strengths. This lack of community had been driving me crazy for the last four days, so it felt very comforting to feel at peace while I was surrounded by some of my colleagues. It made me feel like the last four days were just the freshman jitters.
MOZ likely to sunburn 