I love Mariri. I love my students, my neighbors, and my
JUNTOS group. However, even from the start, it’s been a tough love. After
recently experiencing a third security incident, Jamie and I came to the
conclusion that we’re in an unhealthy relationship with our site.
Mariri has been isolating us from friends and family from
the beginning by blocking access to cell phone service. With only one chapa per day, Mariri won’t let us
travel whenever we want to. Mariri has gotten physical a few times, with some
serious sick days.
Other volunteers have been telling us to get out, but we’ve
refused to see the signs. Instead of recognizing the irreconcilable differences
between Mariri and my need for access to food and clean water, I’ve focused on
sentimentalities. I keep hoping Mariri will change, but eventually I just have
to put myself first.
So while I’ll always love Mariri as a friend, we’ve decided
that it’s time to move on. In about two weeks, Jamie and I will be hopping over
one province to Meconta, Nampula, to finish our adventure.
In other news: I just returned from the capital city of
Maputo, where I got some really boring dental work. I ate gelatto and pizza, got
a manicure, bought souvenirs in a tourist's art market, and just generally wasted
a lot of tax dollars. My flight down to Maputo was delayed for 11 hours, and
the baggage check lady made me cry on my return flight, so I’m hoping not to
fly again any time soon.
This weekend, we have a province-wide conference for JUNTOS,
a youth group that we sponsor in our community. Next weekend we’re going to a
pig roast in neighboring Chiure to celebrate a birthday, and then hopefully
moving to our new site!
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