My little village of Chikwina is really my own little corner
of Heaven. I just love it here. I can’t describe how beautiful it is up here
in the mountains. You’ll have to just
come and see it for yourself. Just my
walk to school is breathtaking (literally and figuratively, that is NOT an easy
walk to make). I mean, this place really
is of the highest caliber. The air is
pristine, there’s no traffic, all the food is grown locally by my neighbors,
the kids are respectful (mostly) and helpful.
My favorite time to walk around the village is late afternoon. That’s pretty much social hour here, but it’s
also cooler and the light is the prettiest (well, tied for first with early
morning).
But what I really LOVE is walking around in all this beauty
and knowing everyone’s name. Well, a
good portion of names. It’s this
unbelievable feeling of camaraderie to walk to the market and call out “how are
you Mr. Phiri!” or “good afternoon, Mr. Banda!” or “hey, Darlington, are you selling
honey today?” It’s like a freaking
episode of Leave it to Beaver, but set in Africa. It’s great knowing who to ask for eggs or
charcoal and who sells the best tomatoes.
I feel like I’ve got “the in”. I
wish this were still common in America.
It really is something to feel good about – the cliché suburban
neighborhood. It’s the ultimate
warm-fuzzy feeling.
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| On my way to school |
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| A Chikwina sunset |
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