My Tanzanian Adventure 2015

Every beginning is tough. I headed for Tanzania with time on hand, an open mind, a craving for new experiences and a desire to contribute where I can.

I could tell you about my time as a volunteer teacher for a third grade class at an orphanage in Arusha, Tanzania; I could talk about my majestic journey on safari in the Serengeti; or I could tell the tale of how I struggled to haul my arse (excuse my french) up Mt Kilimanjaro for 6 days. But you would probably find similar stories from others. I'm going to talk about the unique experience I made being part of the volunteer house, Twiga house (Swahili for giraffe) in Arusha.

When I first got to the Twiga house, everyone was sick with food poisoning and a water-born parasite known as Amebas, lying spread across the living room watching 50 shades of grey. Yes, I know. It was a pretty picture. I was one of only 4 boys in the house and for me that was great, since there was about 13 girls there. Oh yeah.

After settling in to the house in the following days, everyone started to recover and gain some spirit. What I noticed straight away, was that this group was very much like a family and the dynamics were very open with individuals from all over the world. I started to bond with the group. A girl caught my eye and we hit it off from the start, despite her spending most of her days sick, crying on the toilet from sheer desperation and sickness. Oh yeah.

The next few weeks, as I fell in love with the country of Tanzania the individuals in the house and a young girl, I began to change my views on life and what matters most to me. The longer I removed myself from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life back home, the more I felt free from the shackles of western society. I began to believe in people making a difference. Seeing kids smile even though they have absolutely nothing to hold onto in their lives gave me a sense of hope. It not only changed my perspectives but opened me up to grow as an individual.

Having spent nine weeks in Tanzania, I left with no money in my pocket, my mind blown from the unique experience, a growing thirst for further travel and a one-way plane ticket to my new girlfriend in Canada, whom I met in Tanzania. Oh yeah, you guessed it. That sick girl who spent our first three days on the toilet. She's a keeper.