Yet, every Zambia trip is different and every return to the UK is unique.
This last trip was full of good things. I had lots of time to catch up with the Beyond Ourselves team out there, reviewing the highlights of the past term and looking ahead to the next one. We hosted a fantastic team of students from Cranleigh School. Plus there were unexpected meetings and partnership opportunities that were both exciting and inspiring for the future.
Yet, in the mix of celebrating and being thankful for all the great things happening in Zambia, there are still moments of frustration and heart-break.
When we have teams visit Zambia I always tell them about reverse culture shock and how returning to the UK (or their home country) might be difficult for them. So you’d think after seven years of travelling to and from Zambia things might be a little easier for me.
But how does one go from sitting on the rat eaten sofa of a child-headed household or hearing the wail of grief of a friend who has just heard the news that yet another family member has tragically died, to life back in North London?
There’s no simple answer.
Constantly having two cultures in your life, carrying two very different places and people in your heart is amazing but it isn’t always easy.
There’s no simple answer because it adds a beautiful complexity to life.
This last trip was full of good things. I had lots of time to catch up with the Beyond Ourselves team out there, reviewing the highlights of the past term and looking ahead to the next one. We hosted a fantastic team of students from Cranleigh School. Plus there were unexpected meetings and partnership opportunities that were both exciting and inspiring for the future.
Yet, in the mix of celebrating and being thankful for all the great things happening in Zambia, there are still moments of frustration and heart-break.
When we have teams visit Zambia I always tell them about reverse culture shock and how returning to the UK (or their home country) might be difficult for them. So you’d think after seven years of travelling to and from Zambia things might be a little easier for me.
But how does one go from sitting on the rat eaten sofa of a child-headed household or hearing the wail of grief of a friend who has just heard the news that yet another family member has tragically died, to life back in North London?
There’s no simple answer.
Constantly having two cultures in your life, carrying two very different places and people in your heart is amazing but it isn’t always easy.
There’s no simple answer because it adds a beautiful complexity to life.
By Jodie
No comments:
Post a Comment