It may already be three weeks since I left Zambia, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t think about Livingstone and the people there almost every day. It was an amazing experience and I hope to be able to do something similar again.

So for this last post on my experiences there, I want to share a bit of what life was like on a daily basis and then talk about how that life led to making very dear friends veery quickly.

As I think I have mentioned, during the time I was in Livingstone I was staying in volunteer house with as many as 40 volunteers. While originally I had hoped to be able to stay with a local family during my time there, I quickly realized that being with other volunteers was also quite valuable.

The location, was the Sunbird Guest House (http://t.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Sunbird-Guest-House/Livingstone/30773?source=adwordsdynamic&network=g&creative=80887456820&adposition=1t1&uniqueclickID=11154187602182511189&sub_keyword=_cat:hostelworld.com&sub_ad=b&sub_publisher=ADW&gclid=CjwKEAjwp56wBRDThOSZ3vqGzmESJABjNaj9I9ZoBJ_gcAJU97eTSz7CWstmSohXQpJ-kfXEfrtNtxoCEo_w_wcB) used by Dream Livingstone Zambia (http://www.dreamlivingstonezambia.com/), the local volunteer organization that handled our placements and the day to day things that needed to be done in Zambia, to house volunteers. IVHQ (https://www.volunteerhq.org/) handled everything prior to my getting to Zambia and does so for projects in many countries.

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Life there could be chaotic at times with 40 people, but there some good places to hang out and chill.

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That said, life there was not easy, but you got used to things like the following:

  • doing your laundry in a bathtub

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  • sleeping under a net in the top bunk

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  • sharing a tiny fridge and a not very large closet with 2-3 other people

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  • a pretty tiny bathroom – the almost always cold shower wasn’t that bad given how hot it was there

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  • a dining room that was so crowded that it was a constant challenge to get to and from the tables

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  • washing dishes with a sponge that had seen better days a long time ago</li

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  • learning to enjoy instant coffee

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    Yes, it was hard at times. But in comparison to the kids we were working with, it pales dramatically.

    And, if it weren’t hard, the friendships that were made in only a few short days probably would not have happened. I can’t list everyone here who I hope to stay in contest with because if I try to, I know I will miss someone and that would be awful. Thanks to things like Facebook, and other communication options, it is possible to stay in touch.

    And hopefully, as some of us continue to travel, we will have chances to see each other again. Just writing this is making me cry, knowing how much I miss each and every one of you who I spent time with

  • playing cards
  • watching sunsets
  • walking to and from school
  • splurging on expensive dinners
  • going on safari
  • hanging out on the swing
  • stargazing during the power outages
  • whitewater rafting
  • hiking around Victoria Falls
  • singing along with guitars and other instruments
  • exploring the markets
  • discovering village life

    • And doing other things that I am sure I am forgetting.

    Peace, and a hope that we will meet again someday.

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