Time flies...

Six months ago I was flying to Tanzania to spend a month volunteering and sight-seeing.  My being there was an accident, planned less than two weeks before departure.  You can read about it all under the Africa tag, which I've linked to above.

Tanzania and it's people had a profound impact on me.  I got wake to expansive vistas, walk through lush gardens and plantations, and see stunning wildlife.  I also saw cultures struggling to hold on to tradition, children learning to live through the devastation of the AIDS epidemic, and schools crumbling at the poorly built seams.  Through it all I saw joy and pride.  I saw love and hope and kindness and a welcoming spirit.  I was given the gift of friendship by people who had little else to give, and it is more precious than any expensive trinket.

If there is one thing I have tried to take away from my time there, it is that even on my worst day, I have everything in the world at my finger tips.  We must learn to be more grateful for everything we have, whether it's a home, a job, or just a loved one to come home to.  So many out there lack so much more.  It was a philosophy that was quickly put to the test when I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer just six weeks after my return.

The trip feels a bit like a dream now, the fade of memories hastened by the post-trip cancer drama.  I continue to be thankful for the experience.  It may have saved my life.  It definitely changed it.