Final Reflection

Dear future participant,

 Firstly, congratulations on making it this far! You’re about to embark on one of the most enriching and exciting adventures of your life! As I write this letter, it has been less than 24 hours since I got back from Lusaka, and I miss it so much. I miss so many things like the easygoing culture, the smell of the air, and music in the mini buses. My time in Zambia was life-changing for me. Trust me, I am not big on clichés, but Zambia definitely changed a lot for me.

The main thing I loved about the Zambia program was the amount of independence the program gave me. The trip leaders left after two weeks and then we were basically on our own. It was super scary at first, but it was also empowering. I remember being so scared of taking the minibus by myself at first or bargaining with the vendors at the market. But after doing it once, I realized it wasn't nearly as scary as I made it out to be in my head. People in Zambia are generally super friendly and always willing to help you find directions or translate some Nyanja. The biggest piece of advice I have for you as you start on this adventure is writing a blog or a journal. I was never really into blogging or journaling before this trip, however, once I started I couldn't stop. Blogging gave me an opportunity to reflect on my experiences and it also gave me a chance to share my first-hand experiences with other people. I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. I also realized that once I started writing, it was forcing me to be more "in the moment" every day so that I would remember experiences better when I was writing about them the following night. I wrote a weekly blog (although it got harder to keep up as the research got more hectic). Honestly, I'm so glad I made myself do it though because now I have a collection of memories I can refer to any time I want. It also helps when you're writing final reflections and reports for various funding applications (pro tip).

Another piece of advice I want to share is that when the research begins to get hectic (and no matter how good of a work ethic you have, things will get really hectic around weeks 6 and 7), try to make time everyday to do something fun (whether it's going for a run in Kabulonga, trying a new coffee shop, watching a movie you downloaded on Netflix). It's always really good to have a mental break every day so that you can take the time to reflect on your experiences instead of being constantly stressed about research.

I am so excited for you and I hope your experience is as wonderful as mine was. Good luck!

Mira