A new friend recently messaged me to say that he had read my blogs, from the beginning all the way through to the most recent one, which I have to say, is not very recent. Around the same time I started clearing out some old pictures from my cell phone, which has been with me in Zimbabwe for the past 3 or more years. Together these rather unrelated events caused me to stop and reminisce about the “good old days” of my life here in Africa.

Those of you who know me well already know this, adjusting to life in Harare (the capital) of Zimbabwe, has not been easy for me. The years I spent in Mkhosana (a ghetto near Victoria Falls) and the rural areas surrounding it are treasured memories. Sometimes I ache for the days when I walked long, red dirt roads just to see which children God would bring me to.

My life is different now, things are a bit more scheduled and organized and I often have to “clean myself up” for meetings with people who are important in the world of humanitarian aid. My degrees and my “unusual” experiences of living with poorer people of Zimbabwe allow me to help people develop programs that hopefully will prove more helpful to the people who need it.

I have made a commitment to make a life here in Zim, and it is a beautiful place with beautiful people, however that doesn’t mean it is easy.

I am back here now, after some time away in which I was able to rest (a little) vacation with family (a little) and help my grandma move out of our family home and into her new adventure in a new community.

I am making my rounds, getting in touch with the people I work with, the people I socialize with and learning what has changed while I have been away… things change so quickly!

For better or worse, I am home!

With Love From Zimbabwe,

Gigi