Post 3

Coming back from Livingstone it didn’t really occur to me that we wouldn’t be going back to our homestays. When we left on Friday it didn’t sink in that we wouldn’t be coming back after the long weekend. On the bus ride, home today it became real that we weren’t just going to take a bus to Chilenje and walk through that gate we walked through every day. I missed walking in and immediately being greeted by Nicky hugging me saying he missed me while Mauquease rounds the corner at top speed to hug us. I missed walking in and finding Christine and Mutinta in the kitchen and Odess with the babies in the sitting room watching one of the many Zee World soap operas. I became so used to living there that it feels somewhat empty here at abundant life.

There isn’t one specific memory that defines my experience at my homestay. It would be an injustice to simplify my past few weeks with my family into one memory. However, what I can generalize and what I can take with me along with my many memories is the ease with which they took me in. I remember asking Odess why she decided to take in two host children and she responded, “I was once hosted myself and I am so thankful for them and for the experience that I had and I wanted to do the same.” She also joked that when they asked her to host some students she responded, “give me 4.”

Leaving the homestay, I am so incredibly grateful that she decided to take us in and for the time we had there. I have not really been homesick until now but instead of just missing my family back home I found myself missing my family in Chilenje. It was surprising to me that just spending 4 weeks in someone’s home could I grow to miss them when I leave. The homestay has been arguably the most meaningful part of this trip. Not only did it allow me to really experience the life and culture in Zambia, but it also allowed me to form really meaningful relationships. Living in someone else’s home gives you a different perspective, I could see life in Lusaka through their lives rather than through my perspective as a visitor. The most important thing I got from the homestay is a sense of belonging. My family made me feel comfortable in this new city, they made me feel like a part of their family. They allowed me to feel comfortable in a completely uncomfortable and new place.

It makes me sad that I won’t be living with them anymore but that only makes me realize how important it will be to keep in touch and reach out and visit them while I still can. I find myself thinking when is the next time I can go see them. Looking back, I already know that the time I spent with them and the memories I have with them will be the most meaningful part of this trip for me. I am so thankful for Odess, Christine, Mutinta, Nicky, Mauquease, Christian, and Rema and how they shaped my experiences here in Zambia. I can see why she spoke so fondly of her own host parents likely because she had a similar experience. It’s one thing to host someone in your home but it’s another thing to make someone feel like they belong and to feel like a part of the family. I felt like I belonged and I think that’s the hardest part about leaving.