Mr. Joseph Nguma – 1959 to 2015

Nathan and I have been in the US for less than 10 days and have already caught ourselves slipping too easily into some old comfort zones: enjoying crazy fast internet, loving that we can drink tap water, and driving even when walking is an option.  However, during this long trip away from our Tanzanian home we are sure to also remind ourselves each day how lucky we are for all that we have been given.  The recent death of my (Shannon) former colleague, Mr. Joseph Nguma, will forever remind us of our fortunes. Continue reading →

The ‘F’ in February 2015 could stand for ‘frustrating’ for me (Shannon) as I struggled with computer problems the whole month (sorry there was no blog, first world problems).  I also entered my third month of unemployment, the longest I have ever gone without a job.  Many of you know that February is also a difficult month for me because it’s my birthday month which makes me feel very anxious to look back on my last year and realize I didn’t accomplish all my goals.  To fight the general anxiety I have felt recently, I have been trying my hardest to lead a purposeful and fun life.  Nathan and I both have taken on several challenges and still enjoy learning new things about Dar, Tanzania, and ourselves almost daily.  Here are some of our highlights from the last few weeks: Continue reading →

Dar – dense, yet diverse

Let’s be honest, I (Shannon) am writing this post.  Nathan loves being outside, but he’s not ready to be a nature nerd…yet.

When I tell people we live in Tanzania, there are two common reactions:  either they think I am talking about an island off the coast of Australia or they think I live in ‘the bush.’  Tanzania is actually a large country in East Africa, just south of the Equator with what I consider some of the most beautiful geography on the planet.  The country is blessed with high biodiversity due in part to many types of ecosystems, from rainforest to savanna to coral reefs.  We live in Dar es Salaam, a huge, tropical city on the Indian Ocean and despite poorly planned, rapid development and heavy pollution, there are amazing creatures everywhere.  You just have to be willing to slow down, look around, and listen. Continue reading →

Dar es Salaam, what will you look like in 5 years?

Our first month in Tanzania has been wild, but wonderful.  After moving into an apartment, starting new jobs, making some new friends, and continuing to explore the city we are starting to feel like Dar is home.  It’s difficult to reflect back on the last few weeks because each day was unique and it feels like so many things have happened, but we’ll give it a try! Continue reading →

Downtown Dar es Salaam. We made it!

We made it.  For real, we are in TANZANIA!  Apart from sitting on airplanes, we have not stopped packing, moving, traveling, and then packing some more in the last few months.  This post is basically a recap of all this ‘what what what’ (a Tanzanian colloquialism, can also be replaced with ‘blah blah blah’).  ‘What what what’ can be used here when you aren’t really sure what to say, or you don’t have the time to properly fill it in.  We received so many great questions over the last few months from friends and family curious about why and how and when and ‘WHAT?’ and we weren’t able to answer most of them.  Hopefully over the next few months everyone will start to understand our ‘what what what’. Continue reading →