The Downhill Slope

So here we are in February - our last month in Malawi. I can't believe it is already here. Some months went by very fast (January!) and some went by very slow. But we finally made it. It seems that somewhere over the past 3 months we have gone over the learning curve and have become very comfortable and happy living in Mzuzu. We know people, people know us - we have a routine - we know how to act in every circumstance - we have good friends. Turns out, Mzuzu has become our home. Even more interesting is that every unique thing about Malawi that surprised us or caught us off guard when we first arrived, is now normal. 

For example, everyone says "Hello, how are you?" all the time, and every Malawian response is "I'm fine." Doesn't seem all that strange, until you try it yourself. Ask every person you meet how they are and when they answer and ask you how you are, say "I'm fine". It will feel like you are telling them in a covert way that you are not good but don't want to talk about it, as saying "I'm fine" tends to feel this way without even knowing it. We are more likely to say "I'm good" or "I'm well today". Ridiculous how something this small and insignificant can throw you off guard. Now it's just a response. A more noticeable thing we've gotten used to is people staring at us. Like a really good stare that bores into your soul, or at least makes you wonder what is wrong with what you are wearing. We are so used to people stopping and staring at us, it makes us wonder what we are going to do when we are walking around in London or back at home when someone is staring at us. Will we notice it more or not notice it at all? Will something actually be wrong with my clothes or hair, or will I dismiss the stare as I have in Malawi - I'm another person who looks different (because of the white skin, in case you were confused). Another thing we've become used to is our mosquito net. At first it was annoying, frustrating and mostly just a pain to have. Now it's a comfort. We know how to keep it (tucked under the mattress 24/7 so no creatures can sleep with us), and it's become almost a safety net. For the past 8 months I can count on one hand the amount of times we have slept on just a mattress or couch without a mosquito net or without our tent screens to shield us from anything and everything. It's going to be very strange to sleep in a normal bed without having to worry about a net again. Maybe every once in a while we'll sleep in a tent just to bring back good feelings. 

All of these small things add up to a very different way of life (even when you still have running water and electricity). And just as we have become accustomed to our new way of life, we are heading down a downhill slope towards our return to civilization! I can't lie, I cannot wait! I love Malawi and I wouldn't have traded our time here for anything. In fact, our time has just made us appreciate Canada and our lives that much more. As well as appreciate cheese more. And real milk more. And coffee more. It's basically made us appreciate everything possible more than we did before - especially family and friends. I've been slacking on my blogs - I know. It's hard to write about everyday life that has become the norm. I promise I'll do more posts before we get home and that our stories when we get home will actually be interesting! After all, we've just spent the last 8 months in Africa and we only have 1 more month to go.