Trying to find the wow moments

started this blog over six years ago. I believe it was in March 2005, as I was winding up my life in the UK. Less than six months later I was going to Africa. When I started typing here, I didn't know where I was going. I just knew I was going. I was 22 and very naive (I see NOW!) but I was on the ride of my life. I started this blog as a way to mentally process where I was going and as a handy way to keep in contact with people "back home" whether in Germany, the UK or the USA. Sadly, I've been back over 2 years and have been pathetic at keeping this blog up and running. I admit, I got nervous at how scary the instant connectedness of the first world can infiltrate your life. But now as I've been thinking about what the Internet does I can make comparisons with Africa in a heart beat. There's this phenomenon in Africa called the Bush Telegraph. I distinctly remember hearing from people in VILLAGES in the interior that I was doing such and such on such and such night. I realized quickly that people were watching me where ever I went. It's similar with the Internet. Think about it. How many times in your life have you heard the "Oh yeah I saw that on Facebook..." or some variant thereof. It's just a bush telegraph with optical fibers instead of coconut fibers and fofoqueira.

Now on to the title, I've been called an adrenalin junkie before in my life. I tend to take that as a compliment. Nothing excites me more than to try and figure out life in some far flung corner of the world. Doing it in Pittsburgh has not had that rush. Unless I'm trying to understand Yinzer speak or this language they speak up in the mountains of West Virginia. But, I've been trying recently to find the "wow" moments of everyday. The past couple of days have been just that.

Starting a few days ago I had a two hour session at work where 2 of my students left early, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. So I sat down with the other woman who stayed for a little bit. She turns out to sit on the board of a charity in Zimbabwe. It is run (partly) by this ethnically Swedish woman who is from Finland. So this book is written in Swedish and I found with my German background I can work out some of the roots of words for the meanings and now I'm helping her translate it. After we got talking, she said there is an RPCV from Zim who also lives in my neighborhood here in Pittsburgh. She served under the same Country Director in Zim that I served under in Moz. That just made me yelp with excitement. The best is yet to come though. She said they send some Americans over to Zimbabwe every July and August to teach and work about 100 miles outside of Harare. It would be all expense paid. I need to do an internship for grad school and my internship seems to have fallen into my lap!!

SO, I'm translating a book, have a trip back to Africa on the horizon and saw someone randomly in Pittsburgh who I went to high school with. Oh yeah Freshlyground is coming to America as well.

The Universe is Smiling.

Ian