day3: Charleston, SC

After arriving in Charleston we did a short walking tour of the city, thanks to Eva’s iphone. It was warm but not hot and the shops were closed because of the time so it wasn’t crowded. We went to Poogan’s Porch for dinner, where we all had wine, fried alligator, and salmon with a green tea glaze, risotto and asparagus. It was delicious and a very enjoyable meal.

This morning we did a few guided tours – one of the Aiken house, an urban plantation, one of the dungeon/Provost, where POW’s and pirates were held between the Revolutionary war and the Civil war, and we went to the Fort Knox museum. We had another great meal on the patio of Hominy Grill. Overall, I loved the city for it’s beautiful architecture, charm, and southern hospitality without being too slow. We are now headed to Savannah, where we will stay for two days.

day 2: Wilmington, NC

Yesterday we arrived in Wilmington near 4, unloaded, and went to explore the town. It’s very old, quaint, and cute, with an interesting mix of history, dive bars, beach town, and artistic vibes. We walked along the waterfront and ate a huge platter of all kinds of shell fish – delicious. When we left it was pouring like crazy and we ran from one awning to another, but still ended up hopelessly wet. Eva took a pretty hard spill on a stone step but took it like a champ. We headed over to a haunted pub crawl and it really sucked. The tour guide was wasted and encouraged us to catch up to him, and he told a bunch of lame ghost stories in loud bars. I suppose that’s what I should have expected, but I was hoping for something way more scary. At one point we ditched the group to get shots and play fuBboll, and that ended up being the most fun we had all night. After the tour ended we went to a bar to play pool, and then headed in for the night.

This morning we got up early, went out to breakfast, and spent a few hours at the beach. The water was freezing but the beach was deserted. It was lovely. Next stop: Charleston!

day 1: Washington, D.C.

Today was the first day of our roadtrip, and we left for DC around 9am. The car is crazy packed, and we’re ready for adventure. We arrived near 4, hung out at my Aunts house, and Eva got her first pedicure ever. We ate dinner with my family and went in the hot tub before checking out the monuments at night.

road trip planz

the route:

the breakdown:

Brooklyn weekend

Last weekend I celebrated my basically non-existent spring break by visiting Alice’s new apartment in Brooklyn. There was a lot of wandering around and basking in the sun mixed with some old Germans friends.

road trip of the south

A few friends and I are planning a road trip of the South right after graduation. Here is a tentative list of our destinations:
Washington, D.C.
Chinkiteak
Beaufort, NC
Charleston, SC
Savannah, GA
Atlanta, GA
Birmingham, AL
New Orleans, LA
Baton Rouge, LA
Memphis, TN
Nashville, TN
Mammoth Cave National Park, KY
Hodgenville, KY
Bardstown, KY
Louisville, KY
Frankfort, KY
Lexington, KY
I’m hoping to get a good mix of history, kitsch, and scary backwoods encounters. We’re going as budget as possible, crashing with friends where we can, bringing a cooler, etc. We only have two weeks, and a lot to fit in. It should be interesting!

my thoughts since returning home

When I came back from Moshi I was so emotional I cried on the plane. I was happy to be coming home and so sad that it was ending. I was completely determined to return, and hoped I could within the year. While I would still love to go back, I am now thinking of it more realistically and with some distance. If I can go back to Africa I would like to go for several months, maybe two or three, and visit multiple places including Moshi. I would like to see the west coast and South Africa while I’m there.
When I went to Moshi I was expecting a level of culture shock. I can honestly say I didn’t really experience that shock until I came home. The poverty I saw did not surprise me, and I think that’s because I have seen it on TV and was expecting it. I had hoped, though, that it would have jarred me just a little. I hope I’m not too jaded. What I found most difficult to deal with was my return home. To go from living in such poverty to such luxuries like a toilet and a stocked refrigerator in one day was difficult for me to process. Each time I bought something I calculated its value in Tsh and thought of how much food it could provide to Margereza. It made me feel very guilty all the time. This lasted about a week, until I readjusted to my normal life.
I would never go to another CCS program, but I don think that they are an excellent resource for very specific types of volunteers. It is a great way to see and volunteer in a third world country where one might not be comfortable just venturing off to on their own. You are exposed to lots of cultural events and the language, however I did feel sometimes that those were the priority and that volunteering was an afterthought. This, I suppose, depends on the staff at your home base and the other volunteers. I think CCS is good for young, unexperienced travlers who need some hand holding from the visa process to the retun flight home. It’s also good for those looking to volunteer with a level of comofort when they return home. I often felt guilty returning to such nice accomodations, but it was also a welcome refief on some long and more challenging days.
Traveling to Moshi was a once in a lifetime experience, and I will never forget it. I am still in contact with some of the volunteers, and I hope to do more international volunteering in the near future.