One Month Update.

"The willingness to show up changes us, 

it makes us a little braver each time." 

-Brene Brown, Daring Greatly. 

One month ago, I packed way too much stuff into three luggages and flew across the world with my cat, again. This time the destination was one I have dreamed of for many years and for many reasons: Africa.

The last four weeks have been everything and nothing I anticipated. They have been boring and exhilarating, uplifting and heartbreaking, eye-opening and mystifying.

My fellowship has not begun in the way that I was expecting, and this has brought many twists and turns and a "fly by the seat of my pants, be ready at any minute for anything" lifestyle.

As many of you, dear friends of the internet persuasion, have noticed - I am not in my host city anymore. I spent 9 days in Kibungo before temporarily re-locating back to the capitol of Rwanda, Kigali. There are many issues with my placement including security, water, and politics. What is required in order for my Fellowship to take place is not set up yet. It has been a learning experience to see how these issues are tackled within the Rwandan context. Trial and learning by fire. I am thankful that I was removed from the situation by the US Embassy. For now, I am staying with another fellow in the big city who has been generous and kind and patient and every other positive adjective towards myself and Mushu as we crash her humble abode.

This means that I am homeless and without work for the moment, which is a huge blessing in disguise because I have been able to spend time in the city getting to meet people, start to build a network, and join in as the fellows based in the city begin their work. I have had the pleasure of constantly observing and making mental notes, as well as planning a few small scale events - which will benefit me as the months go by. I am thankful for this time, even though it comes with it feelings of stagnancy and frustration.

Hopefully, I will be able to return to Kibungo soon. It could be tomorrow, it could be in two weeks. I have no idea. There are many ducks that need to line up in order for the move to happen, but I know that eventually everything will work out. It has to - there is no other option.

Overall, I am incredibly thankful to have been placed in Rwanda, even if it means this temporary challenge here in the beginning weeks. Rwanda is clean, fairly easy to traverse, full of nice people, and safe. Not to mention - absolutely, breathtakingly gorgeous at every glance. And the team of English Language Fellows and Fulbrighters = rockstars. I really love it here.

Hopefully I will have some better news for you soon. But for now, I am just winging it here in Rwanda.
(But aren't we all just winging it?) 

walk slow. xoxo.