Just Do It

"...you got tuh go there tuh know there. "
-Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston

I enjoy watching people's reactions when we tell them we're going to Rwanda. Some, realize the genocide was 15 years ago and go - Wow, what is that country like now? Others, quickly think of Don Cheadle and say - Is it safe there - are people going around the streets with machetes?! Of course, we acknowledge and are preparing for our own personal safety, but until we hit the ground and start living in Rwanda - we won't be able to talk about what it's like. We'd be remiss to consider ourselves experts on the country after mere travel blog reading and research.
As we grow ever closer to our departure date I've begun thinking less about our role in Rwanda and all we'll be doing - and more about Rwanda, the country.

I've been wondering what makes the people of Rwanda tick. What do they get excited about and what do they think of America. What do they listen to on the radio? What do their libraries look like - and are they filled with African writers or all kinds of writers? I wonder about how long the sun stays out and if people are outside a lot when they're not working. I wonder if it's a walking culture or a driving/car culture. I wonder if they buy all their groceries at the beginning of the week or if they go each night. I've wondered if they make guacamole. I've thought about what times they eat meals - are they early risers and late dinner eaters?

So, I've thought a lot about the quote at the beginning of this entry because until you can talk about a country or its people - you have to go there. You have to immerse yourself in it and then you MUST talk about it. So many times we learn about other countries and other cultures through Wikipedia and Google. One of the main goals of the Manolos blog is to tell our friends and families as much as we can about this country that many of them won't experience besides through us and the stories we tell. I haven't had many close friends travel so far from home for such a long period of time, so I'm so excited to be giving my first-hand account to everyone I care about.

I've so been trying to not only, soak in new experiences (loading wood from the back of a truck into the basement; getting a pick-up unstuck from mud; driving in snow/ice again) but appreciate them and hold them close. I'm working to train my brain to savor each moment and each new experience. I'm trying to look not through a rose colored lens, but through a little less cynical lens. I want not only my planning and my physical self ready for the trip - but I want my mental self totally open and appreciative of each experience. Because everything from waking up to working to chatting will be completely different there. Much like my morning coffee in DC was rushed and sometimes violently pursued, coffee in the morning in Indiana is (much like Indiana) never rushed and always sipped instead of gulped down in a caffeine induced frenzy.