Supersize Me

June 2012: Mtui's first time in the US was surreal for both of us.

This was the first time Mtui was able to experience my reality after 2 years of dating. I asked him "what was your first impression of the US?" and he stated simply "everything here is bigger--bigger roads, bigger trees, houses, cars, etc." During this visit, he stayed for the summer visiting family and taking a trip out West.

Christmas in Tanzania and a trip to Uganda

December 2011/January 2012: As a nursing student, I had 6 weeks to travel to Tanzania and Uganda with Mtui. We spent the Christmas holiday with friends on the coast of Tanzania in a deserted village called Ushongo. It took us a 10-hour bus ride and 3 motorbike rides to reach this place. We camped on the beach and celebrated the holiday. During our time in Tanzania, Mtui purchased land to begin constructing his current house in Ngulelo and I was one of the land purchasing witnesses :)  

In Uganda, I volunteered as a nursing student at a pediatric HIV/AIDS clinic. We stayed with our friend William who is a doctor at the clinic. We were staying in Jinja, which is a beautiful village located off the coast of the Nile River. 

                                                                 Camping in Ushongo

                                                                           Fresh coconut 

                                                                  Christmas feast

Ushongo, Tanzania 

Land purchase (notice the man holding the cash in hand) 

                                                             Pediatric HIV/AIDS Clinic

Dr. William learning how to use a temporal thermometer 

Backpacking in Southern Africa

Tanzania--->Malawi--->Zambia--->Namibia 

For the rest of my time in Africa, Mtui and I decided to take a 6-week backpacking trip across southern Africa. We visited Lake Malawi, Victoria Falls, and the Namibian desert. Traveling definitely brought us closer together and this was the first time we simultaneously stepped outside of our comfort zones. 

                         

Mount Meru

In April, I stopped volunteering to enjoy my last few months in Tanzania. 

A few friends of mine decided to hike Mt. Meru (14,977 feet) with Mtui and, what later became his tour company, Tanzania Expeditions. The hike was 3 days and started in Arusha National Park among buffalo and giraffes. This was my first true adventure with Mtui and I knew there would be more adventures to come.