To be completely honest, leaving my homestay family to move
into abundant life was probably the hardest thing I’ve had to do during my two
months in Zambia. Not only did going on the peace corps trip to Chongwe give me
one less weekend with my family, I felt as if I left right when I was really
connecting with my homestay parents. Although my time with my homestay family
came to what felt like an abrupt ending, I am so grateful that I was able to
meet such wonderful people through this program. I definitely think that my
adjustment to Zambian life would have been very uneasy had I not been able to
live with my homestay family. The bond I was able to create with my homestay
parents has really solidified the importance of the homestay component of this
program. I genuinely feel comfortable with my homestay family and know that
they care about my wellbeing just as much as my actual parents in the states
do. I think I speak for a lot of my peers when I say that leaving was very
difficult but I also feel like everyone had extremely enriching homestay
experiences.
The homestay experience was invaluable for many reasons. For
one, it feels so nice to know that after a long day of work or shadowing that
you have a place to call home at the end of the day. I thoroughly enjoyed
walking home from work to Enala’s amazing cooking and a hyperactive Divine. Not
only was it nice to not have to worry about being taken care of while in
Zambia, my homestay experience helped me feel more at home in country. This
realization is so important because it’s so easy to get caught up in your
research or miss your life in the states. Additionally, I feel like living with
my homestay family has taught me so much about myself. Early on in the program,
I was concerned that I would feel very homesick once I got to Africa. However,
I haven’t felt homesick at all while being here. Although I do not talk to my
homestay parents everyday now that I am at Abundant Life, it felt very
reassuring to know that I have them as a support system in country. The fact
that my homestay dad can check in on me and James at any time feels amazing.
It’s like no matter where I go, I will always have someone looking out for me.
I think this reassurance as taught to not only be more welcoming and open to
new experiences but also that life becomes more enjoyable when you focus on how
things are similar rather than how things are different. My homestay family
experiences felt very similar to my home life. Being aware that my life I Zambia
is not all that different from my life in the states played a huge role in me
not getting homesick. Even while we were in Chongwe on our Peace Corps trip,
the strong family connections felt in the rural areas felt just as welcoming as
my home in America.
One thing I want to take away from my homestay experience is
a desire to help others and make anyone I meet feel welcome into my life. Just
as my homestay family welcomed me into their world, I want others to feel like
they are welcomed into mine. Last week, James and I visited our homestay family
for Enala’s birthday. We surprised her with a red velvet cake and sat down to
catch up with her and the rest of our family. Everyone was so happy and it was
a great time for us and our family. I want more moments in my life where you
create bonds that seem to never break no matter how long you are separated from
someone. Moving forward, I want to make more of an effort to strengthen my
connection with my homestay parents as well as my friends in the program. Additionally,
because I will be going into my last year of college, I really want to spend
time strengthening my connection with those around me. Being with my homestay
family has made me develop a greater appreciation for the time I have and the
people I am around.
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