Flexibility is key

My preparation for the journey to Mnang'ole included

purchasing mattresses and other household goods for my new home (mud hut)...ie. A bucket for washing clothes, soap for washing clothes, basin for washing dishes, cups, plates, a thermos for tea(called chai here), and kibao cha nazi ( a crucial instrument consisting of a collapsable wooden seat with a sharp pronged piece of metal on one end, used for scraping the coconut out of the shell...) (this IS the only food available in my village for flavoring to the food..) banking, phone and Internet service, meeting with crucial parties about lanterns, etc., this took a few weeks the way things work around here. If you think it will take one hour in America, it will take 1-2 days here ... If you think in will take one day in America .. For sure it will take one week at least here! I was fortunate..I think.. To be able to rent a car from a friemd for around $650 .. He needed money to finish a cinderblock fence around his mama's house and I needed transportation to get around.. You will understand the comment 'I think' in a moment... I was faced with the intimidating challenge of not only sitting in the drivers seat on the righthand side of the car and driving on the left side of the road but dodging bikes, crazy dala dala(mini bus) drivers, men pushing carts carrying 15 foot poles, pedestrians crossing everywhere without notice, and cars cutting you off left and right..and even in the city dodging potholes 2 - 3 feet deep! For those of you who think NYC drivers are crazy.. You ain't seen nothin'! My final goal was to meet with Peter from the Peace Corps, who was kind enough to have lunch with me and share some secrets to improving crops in rural villages using only resources right in their own back yard. This appointment happened just as planned because Peter is from Massachusets! After March 31st I was ready to head to Mnang'ole .. Now just waitng for my Tanzanian volunteer to arrive from university abroad.. As is often the way in Africa.. You must be flexible and have a plan b and a plan c.. It turns out he had extended his stsy much longer so.. I was left with the question.."who will escort me the 9 hours to Mnang'ole? I only felt panic for a few hours and was almost ready to brave the trip on my own.. I've always loved a challenge ...when I was blessed with a choice of 4 different friends willing to escort me on my long journey .. Kulwa was the one who made the most sense as he had a training down that way so that was the plan.. However one thing led to another and it turned out I was not able to leave till Sunday .. This was too late for him to go so in the end .. My dear friend Salim joined me on the adventure from Dar to Mnang'ole... What am I learning more and more each day? Worry does no good, and everything ALWAYS works out for the good! Grasshopper... If your reading this.. Your words are ringing true !!! HA!