Hello all,
So, today was my last day in Gaborone and tomorrow morning I fly out to meet my brother for our backpacking tour. Let's start with how I watched the Lion King and cried about saying goodbye to everyone I've met here. That movie's intense and how did I think I'd make it through it without shedding a tear on my last day here?! I'm nuts.
Man oh man, let's start with how crazy of a seven weeks it has been here. Some of it was definitely a challenge but looking back at it now, I've learned a lot about education, health, and the "real" world.
Seven highlights of the health care side of things included:
So, today was my last day in Gaborone and tomorrow morning I fly out to meet my brother for our backpacking tour. Let's start with how I watched the Lion King and cried about saying goodbye to everyone I've met here. That movie's intense and how did I think I'd make it through it without shedding a tear on my last day here?! I'm nuts.
Man oh man, let's start with how crazy of a seven weeks it has been here. Some of it was definitely a challenge but looking back at it now, I've learned a lot about education, health, and the "real" world.
Seven highlights of the health care side of things included:
- Observing a circumcision procedure on a 23 year old male
- Listening to many unborn babies' heartbeats
- Learning about the attitude toward HIV/AIDS and other STIs
- Observing different and most common forms of family planning
- Watching babies get weighed...they're so adorable
- Learning about how to clean and treat wounds
- Understanding the positive and negative impacts of the Botswana healthcare system
Seven highlights of my study abroad experience included:
- Firstly and most importantly, the people who I met on this trip and spent every waking moment with for seven weeks. In a world away from the world, these 26 other students are some wonderful people who I won't forget (and will hopefully see again). It was the hardest thing saying goodbye to them because they're all I've known for the past seven weeks.
- Volunteering with community kids has really shaped my experience in Botswana and helped me understand the community aspect of how society affects the development and attitude of kids.
- My week in the village Kanye showed me how different the rural and town life are in Botswana and how the village is a big part of being Motswana. It's not every day you get to learn how to live without running water (for me at least).
- My home stay mom in Kanye will truly be missed! She was such a darling and did such a perfect job and working me into her home and life.
- Learning a completely different type of public transportation and having to rely on myself to find out where I'm going in somewhere that isn't my home.
- Getting proposed to by strangers (plural) and being told "I love you" "You're so beautiful" "Let's make sex" by strangers. Lol.
- My great study abroad team including employees and volunteers!
- Barbecue (and sauce)
- Chips and Queso
- Chips and Guac
- Chips and Salsa
- ....all Mexican food
- Thai food -Pad See Ew
- Whataburger- the 2 AM run to breakfast honey butter chicken biscuit
- Family and friends
- Constant access to wifi/internet/electricity/water
- UT
- Texting on my iPhone
- Touching animals without fear of getting fleas/rabies/disease
- Fountain drinks
- Texas pride everywhere
- Meet people from different backgrounds, cultures, and lifestyles
- Experience new things/ grow as a person
- See new things and places
- Learn how different education is outside of the USA
- Learn or introduce yourself to a new language and culture
- It's unlikely you'll spend as much time in a different country and it's harder to get away from responsibility
- Let's be honest, you know you really want to do it so stop holding back and get out there!
In just seven weeks, I managed to learn a lot about myself, culture, language, society, healthcare, public health, development and growth, politics, infrastructure, and so much more. In seven weeks, I learned about Botswana. In seven weeks, I made some close relationships and bonds with people who I had never met. In seven weeks, I made a new home.
Now, it's time for me to enter the next leg of my journey. I will be camping with my brother from Windhoek, Namibia through northern Botswana and ending in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. I will be out of touch for the next week and will follow up about my travels when I reach South Africa.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my time in Gaborone as much as I enjoyed the stay and updating about it. Feel free to keep traveling with me through my blog post as I "rough it" through southern Africa.
As always,
Safe travels and enjoy!
Komal
