Lesson 1: Minimizing Homesickness

I never thought I’d miss summer in Arkansas. After cursing August in Arkansas for 27 years, I welcomed the opportunity to spend the summer in a place where it’s winter in July. Despite being very close to the equator, a friend of mine that did her Peace Corps service in Tanzania told me, “It gets chilly in the mornings. You need to bring a sweater.” More beautiful words have never been spoken.

While I’ve spent months preparing to work in Moshi, all I can think of are all of the wonderful things I’m going to miss here in Arkansas. In the weeks before I depart, I’m trying to soak up as much of home as I can. I’m also exporting as much of home as I can. I can’t pack up Riverfest, jazz all night long on KUAR, or the banana pudding at Kitchen Express, but I can take…

unpronounceable Vietnamese noodles from Sam’s Oriental Store on University Ave. I stopped by yesterday & picked up about a dozen of the yummy/indestructible packages intended to serve as insulation to fill in the gaps in my suitcase.

2/$1.00 and ridiculously better than Top Ramen, these have become a staple of my diet. I initially grabbed every one they had on the shelf but, feeling a little selfish, I put a single package back in the bin. A few minutes later I heard another patron loudly complain, "There's only one left!" and then ask the owner to get him an entire case from the top of the shelf. Apparently I'm not the only one.