New Point of View

After a year away from home, my daughter has come to visit. Nothing has been more exciting than seeing my daughter after 13 months and sharing this experience with her. Her observations will co-write this blog post. Her point of view is fresh; a young woman who is experiencing a different world. After five weeks we both agree that this has not just been a vacation but an expansion of her view of the world.

Life on the Other Side

In all my travels, I have never experienced anything like Mozambique. Everything about it is different; from the lifestyle, to the people, to the daily activities, it differs from any trip I’ve been on thus far. I wouldn’t call my time in Mozambique a vacation, but more of an adventure.

There are so many things here that I’ve needed to adapt to, like the lack of infrastructure. Some days there’s no electricity and the dirt roads have made my feet the dirtiest I’ve seen them since I was a child. I’ve also woken several mornings to no water, however, early planning on my mom’s part lead to us being able to brush our teeth with the buckets of water we stored the day before. A few times at night we found ourselves feeling around the apartment for a flashlight so that we could finish eating our matapa, which is a traditional Mozambican dish made of a leafy green.

You would think this would sour my mood, yet it has been humbling to see how people live with these setbacks. I love how extremely friendly the people have been. They are the happiest and most giving people I’ve met. Even though they don’t have much, they are still gifting me with the traditional capolana and hosting dinner. The feeling of inclusion from the locals is present and it stems from the welcoming attitude that by the community lives. Everyone here is part of a communal family and each member is looked after by another and vice versa. This has added to my experience here and I can see first-hand the benefits of my mother’s work.

Other enjoyable experiences have been the hitch-hiking, the nightly beat of the drums from a nearby ceremony, and a local I helped peel cashews with to be sold for his income. These are such different norms that I won’t be able to have back home.

Mozambique is beautiful and full of hidden gems that no one knows about. This journey would benefit anyone who is willing to open themselves to a new experience, especially when looking for a humbling adventure outside of their everyday life.

Until next time Mozambique…you will be missed.