Dakar Has Taught Me...

In what has felt like a blink of an eye, I am leaving Senegal and heading to Argentina.  Dakar vastly exceeded any expectations I had; I have simply been so moved by the people, the pace of life, politics, music, dance, children, language, beaches—the list goes on and on. The memories I have made here will stay with me my entire life, what a feeling. While sitting in the airport I have made a small list of things I have learned in Dakar, perhaps this will give you a taste of what life has been like for me here:

Dakar Has Taught Me…

-          To say Yes

-          That you can learn from every day, even when it may seem uneventful

-          Strangers can be incredibly kind

-          That it is difficult to find the balance between a relaxed mind and cautious mind

-          Eating fish with bones is a challenge I have yet to master

-          To always wear sunscreen

-          That I have a new sister, a brother and an extra set of loving parents

-          Sometimes being a beach bum for seven days straight over spring break is perfectly acceptable

-          That I have a new found interest in politics

-          Laughter is a cheap, healing medicine

-          Night swimming is as fun as it seems

-          Fruit from street vendors is far better than supermarket produce

-          How incredible it’s been to wake up to the Islamic call to prayer for the past 34 days

-          To hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

-          That dancing till five am is one of the best work outs I’ve had here

-          Music is ingrained in this city

-          Greeting people fully, whether a family member or cashier, is deeply emphasized here and something I believe is important to bring with me back home

-          That even in West Africa, you can find a Passover Seder (at the Israeli Embassy…it was amazing!)

-          Sharing is caring

-          That I would like to learn to speak a different language fluently

-          Jet skiing is an exhilarating rush

-          I am changing, using new vocabulary, asking different questions and looking at the world in a new light

-          I love living by the water

-          My village family showed me communication does not have to be verbal; connections and understanding can created in other forms

-          That I would like to use my cell phone less when I return home, and maybe even turn it off from time to time
-    Leaving your camera at home for the day and just taking mental pictures, only for yourself, is equally as important

-          That sometimes it’s so pleasant to just flow through the day and forget about a timely schedule. Ex: Question: What time is dinner? Answer: When it is ready.

-          I’m afraid I’m going to forget the tiny, yet incredible moments  

-          The children here are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen

-          That my mama’s laugh will always make me smile

-          I’m a very good bargainer, even in French!

-          Time flies

-          …When you’re having fun

While I enter into the last leg of our trip, I am filled with thought and emotion. First and foremost, I am so excited to see my parents and sisters who will be vacationing in BA this week. A reoccurring realization for me throughout IHP has been that I would not be who I am without the love and support I feel from my family. Whether you live in hut in a rural African village or an estate in India like Manu, family has continuously presented itself as having principal importance to the people I’ve met here.  I am so grateful and deeply appreciative to feel the same way because I know this is a blessing rather than the status quo.

I am also very excited to explore a new city! Buenos Aires will be extremely different than Dakar and Delhi, but that is just what makes this program so special; to be able to compare these vastly different cities through my own experience. I feel ready, confident, and a little intimidated but that comes with any new adventure. I am entering Argentina with an open mind and a desire to challenge myself to learn all that I can. I want to use the skills I have gained through this program thus far and apply them to reading Buenos Aires; our final destination.  That’s another thing I cannot begin to come to terms with, IHP is ending in five weeks! I sense that a reflective blog post about this fast approaching end will come soon, but for now I will stay present in this moment of excitement and readiness for my concluding adventure.  

I will write next from Buenos Aries!

Lots of Love,

Rachel