The Perfect Cure for Reality is Island Life

I guess it’s that time again as I attempt to recap some significant moments from the last few weeks. Life has been full of highs and lows lately. 

May 24, 2015 was a heavy day. I received a phone call informing me that a Peace Corps Tanzania Volunteer had lost his life. Robbie “Roboti” Lehman was a beautiful soul and his passing hit the entire Peace Corps community like a sucker punch to the gut.
Robbie’s dedication to living a life of service was inspiring and his joy for life will never be forgotten. Rest in Peace Robbie.

A beautiful mural painted by PCTZ volunteers at the office in Dar es Salaam to honor Robbie

Dealing with loss is one of the most difficult aspects of being a PCV. Being isolated in a village, miles and hours separating me from a shoulder to cry on magnifies the terrible feeling of lonliness. 

When this undeniable sadness set in, I decided to purchase data on my phone so I could talk to my mother, the person I always turn to during the hard times. Unfortunately the internet had no better news for me. It was then that I learned of my uncle’s passing away.

My uncle Rick Yates was a hard working man that will be greatly missed. I feel like I never got to say a proper goodbye. A hug on the front porch saying “see you in 2 years” just doesn’t feel like closure. He was so supportive of what I was doing in the Peace Corps and always seemed worried about my safety like loved ones tend to do. Rest in Peace Uncle Rick and give Grandpa a hug for me. 

The greatest cure for loneliness is to surround yourself with people that you care about, so that’s exactly what I did. I made my way across country to Dar es Salaam to attend my Close of Service Conference with the members of my class. Two years ago, we met in Philadelphia and we quickly became family. Close of Service Conference was the last time we would all be together. The conference sessions were great, but overwhelming. They gave advice about readjusting to American life, finding jobs and logistics of leaving. If I’m being honest, I’m very nervous and anxious to return to America.

I officially close my service September 2, 2015 and will set foot back on American soil October 1, 2015

Elizabeth O'Malley, the Country Director of Peace Corps Tanzania

We clean up pretty nice. Some of the most wonderful people I've ever met

View from our room. They hooked us up!

COS Conference made everything too real too fast and was kind of overwhelming, so luckily I had a trip planned after the conference that made me forget, at least for a bit.

After the conference ended, several volunteers and I made our way to the beautiful island of Pemba, located above Zanzibar to do a little scuba diving.

The first day, we had some time to kill in the morning, so we went for a walk on the beach to a lighthouse . 

Jamie, Allison and I at the lighthouse

 We saw many locals wading in the water as the tide was going out, collecting red sea weed. When we asked why they were collecting it, they told us that people buy it. When asked what people use it for, they said they didn’t know… just that people buy it, so they collect it and dry it to make a living.

Mamas in the distance collecting. Their piles of seaweed on the beach

It's like a race, and she's excited

They collect and carry it away in large guinea sacks

The next day, we began our open water course. Usually dive courses practice basic skills in a swimming pool before attempting them in the open water. The pool at Swahili Diver’s was not up and running yet, as we were their first dive group after being closed for months during rainy season. But we had a few members of our crew that aren’t very comfortable in water, so we used the pool anyway…

It was covered in slime and algae and the only life to be observed were mosquito larva, but it was a good time.

Allison with the cheesiest smile as she paddled around in the slime

 We went out on 9 dives total (because we added some dives after finishing the course) and during these dives we saw pods of dolphins, stone fish, moray eels, lion fish, clown fish, tuna, napoleon wrasse, frog fish and so much more! Pemba has some of the most beautiful coral bommies to explore and I enjoyed absolutely every second. It was the most relaxed vacation I have ever had, where days just ran together, never knowing which day of the week it was. Going diving or swimming every morning, lounging on the beach reading and napping every afternoon and viewing the most beautiful sunsets every evening as I enjoyed a beer and good company.

How our oxygen tanks were transported. Always a good reality check that we are still in Tanzania.

The scuba gang

the final day dive crew plus our dive instructors, Mickey and Onions!

A coconut crab. That water bottle is 1.5 litres

The beautiful sunset. It was breathtaking every evening

Unfortunately, during my time on Pemba, I acquired some open wounds on my feet and one foot began to hurt as I made my way back to the mainland. 24 hours after beginning to hurt, my foot was twice it’s normal size, red, hot and the wounds had begun to turn black. I decided that dripping hand sanitizer into the cuts wasn’t enough and decided to go get them checked out. By the time I made my way to the medical unit, I was barely able to walk. Turns out I had a terrible staph infection that almost claimed my toe. The cellulitis had worked its way up my leg, so I had to stay in Dar es Salaam for over a week while it took its sweet time healing. 

 But I’m all better now and on to more adventures!