Things we'll miss and NOT miss about Zambia

So Scott and I just got back from our close of service conference, where we learned about the preparations we'll have to make for leaving in October.  It was also a nice time to reflect back about some of the high and low points of Zambia, and one thing realized is that we'll miss Zambia dearly, but at least we'll have 3 more months!   Scott and I came up with most of these things, with a little help from our Peace Corps friends:

Things we’ll miss:

-          Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, fresh avocadoes, bananas and pineapples

-          Clouds in a million different patterns

-          People saying you’ve gained weight and truly meaning it as a compliment

-          Our pit latrine . . . don’t ask

-          Blaring red sun sinking into the evening sky

-          Evening nights reading by candlelight

-          A wide array of Zambian greens

-          Gardening in January, and February, and March

-          Extremely flexible work hours and self-directed work

-          Wearing totally mismatched clothes with no one batting an eye

-          Not having bills

-          Watching kids being born and grow up

-          Being called by name while riding your bike 20k away

-          People not knowing who the latest pop star is

-          Children asking to do work in exchange for gummi vitamins

-          Random, spontaneous dancing and singing

-          Amazing mountain bush bike rides as a commute to work

-          Living simply

-          Reading for pleasure

-          Other Peace Corps volunteers

-          Natural sleep cycles

-          Weather  between 45-85 degrees where the sun shines every day, even in the rainy season

-          Breakfast with Scott (of fresh chicken eggs) in the outdoor gazebo

-          Sitting on cowhide stools to chat with neighbors

-          A sense of fulfillment after doing laundry by hand for 2 hours

-          Wearing Chacos to work

-          Being home in the middle of the day most days

-          Colorful chitenge cloth

-          Working with your spouse on joint projects

-          Strong women carrying things on their heads

-          Natural light while working

-          Pounding food with a huge wooden mortar and pestle

-          Thunderstorms

Things we will NOT miss:

-          Bike break downs in the middle of the bush

-          People staring

-          Solwezi Dust

-          “Hey white girl, wanna marry me?”

-          Government officials talking around the issues instead of trying to fix them

-          “Chindelli (white person), how are you, how are you, how are you?”

-          Walking on what you thought was a sidewalk that turns into an open sewer

-          Price inflation based on the color of one’s skin

-          The smell of burning plastic

-          Mobs instead of lines

-          “We are suffering”

-          Two people living in a 2-room hut

-          Witchcraft disguised by jealousy toward one’s neighbors

-          Lack of urban planning

-          Zamlish

The lists could go on, but clearly there are FAR more things we’ll miss about this amazing country that most Americans can’t even find on a map.  Thanks to Peace Corps and a country of welcoming people.  We’ll miss you Zambia!