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Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Third-World Tips..

So I have been thinking latley about what it's been like to travel the world.
Deciding to move your future to a place you have never been is sort of like parenting: there is no handbook.
I didn't really know how hard physically just going to places like hot Haiti and elevation-sickness Ecuador would be, just being there.
I am sure Rwanda will have it's vast array of challenges for me no doubt; so I had a thought.
Others out there on the internet land, and possibly some people I may know may some day want to somewhat of the same thing.
And I can now say with personal experience; traveling the third world is a completly different situation than the first!
And for those of you who are family and friends who will someday make the much appreciated journey to Africa for my wedding (it could happen!) I thought it would be nice for you guys to have some simple tips that will save you alot of time, energy, money, and pain while you are on your adventure! (:
So here we go!

Dorothy's Third-World Travel Tips:

Tip 1: Bring your cell phone. I know people do it no matter what, and I know some people are like "but it won't work" and a lot of the times, it won't. But most places like guesthouses have wifi, and if you did like I did in Haiti and stay at the house of the person running the mission, they will have some sort of wifi. A lot even the Port-Au-Prince airport had wifi, so it is all of the world. And yes, there is wifi in Rwanda.

Tip 2: Bring at least two pairs of stretchy knee-length shorts. Take it from personal experience: the rest of the world, isn't so comfortable. No A/C, fans that only run while the Haitian "current" is working (which isn't often), and the world is a hot place!! Chafing exists!! I only brought one pair of yoga pants for the night I had to stay in Ft. Lauderdale, and after like two days, I got my little midical scissors, and chopped those babies up to knee-length and wore those under my skirts instead of my typical mid-thigh length shorts. Trust me! You will thank me when you go to countries where you have to wear skirts/dresses.

Tip 3: Bring a battery power fan with EXTRA BATTERIES!!!. I had a trooper fan in Haiti! It was one of those little ones that had the three foam blades and was like my little slice of heaven when I had time to fan myself. I will never forget sitting on the front porch the SECOND DAY of my trip with everyone and my fan ran out of juice of the second set of batteries. I was pretty sure God was calling me home! BRING BATTERIES!!! I cannot stress it enough!!

Tip 4: (This one's for the weenies like me) If you are terrible at swallowing pills, bring Clif Bars. They are so easy because you can take a bite, chew it up, then stick the pill in your mouth and it will go down first try! Plus, they fill you up without bloating and distress. In Haiti, we had to climb a very steep hill to the school every morning, and with food, it felt like you were going to throw up in the mix of humidity, heat, and just flat out discomfort. And I will add one more little tip to this, ALWAYS ET WITH YOUR MALARIA PILLS. Just, please, don't risk it. They really do make you sick.

Tip 5: Bring your own mosquito net. They are always a good thing if you are in a danger area, and even if someone says you don't have to have one, you should use one. Not only have I had them keep out mosquitos, but I've had them keep out spiders, all bugs, rats, lizzards, frogs.. Yeah, they're good!

Tip 6: Just go! Don't look into too many statistics, don't let yourself talk you out of going. I won't say it's not as bad as you think it will be, because fankly, it's usually worse than you thought it would be, but you are always stronger than you think. And who are you there for?! I have never met anyone traveling the third-world just because they need a vacation.

Tip 7: Don't be an elephant. There's a proverb about how an elephant and a rat were friends, and the rat was having a party, and so the elephant goes and dances all night and has so much fun, but in the end, the elephant can't find his friend the rat, because he has squished him. Don't squish the people there. I think to nothing bad or intentional, but we in America tend to assume they is what the world wants to be like. I have met alot of people who would like to come to America to go to school, but I have yet to meet someone who wants to leave their world and come to ours. To most, this isn't real. It's not even a fairy-tale, it's just not a possibility. Go and live life as a Haitian, or a Rwandan, or as someone who is just a citizen of wherever you are. You are gonna stand out like a sort thumb, but it is the best thing you can do for yourself while you are there.

Tip 8: Embrace the culture (and the food). Usually, the food you will eat is amazing!! And it is local, fresh, and made with care because for someone, it is a chance to cook for someone from a different world. And when they tell you what it is, don't freak out. When we were in Ecuador, I was drinking this apple drink and it was really good, then about 3/4 way through it they told me that what it was, was the old women in the amazon would sit around and chew up apples then spit them out, and that was what it was. And it is pretty much always concidered a sigh of disrespect to leave food, or not finish what you are given. So suck it up! We all have had to do it! Don't whine, don't complain, just be a big kid and eat it!

Tip 9: Take lots of pictures! And keep them!!

Tip 10: Have fun. Embrace the trip and help. Whenever you are so tired you think you can't keep going, take a breath and go. Because it will soon end, and you will come back to America and wish you would have done more. I promise, just do everything you can. Take every opportunity, drop every fear.

I encourage you to travel the third-world. It is much more enjoyable than the first!! (:

Peace to you,
Dorothy.
5.27.14

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