20 May 2014

i am an outsider.

I'll admit it. Ashley and I thought that moving to Tanzania was going to be this great big adventure.

And it is...

…but it is not an adventure in the "Wow! Isn't hang gliding over the mountains of New Zealand amazing?" kind of way.



Nope, not that.

Rather, it has been an adventure in the, "Wow, life here is really crazy." kind of way.

And it has not been easy.

As another put it, traveling to the third world is great and also it sucks. Seriously.

Like Ashley commented in her post on living among suffering, we received some good preparation on cross-cultural transition during our ten-week Orientation Program in New York last Fall.

But how prepared can you be for life in another world? 

Because that is how it feels right now - like we are living in another world.

16 May 2014

reading rainbow - 16 may 2014.

T.G.I.F. Celebrate with some interesting weekend reads. The latest edition of Reading Rainbow is below.

15 May 2014

mtv cribz: the tanzanian house tour.

You've been with us through House Hunter's International, parts I and II. So tell me, were you right about your guess of which house we would choose? To be honest, we would have guessed wrong ourselves. For a good month, we had our hearts set on House #2 and changed our minds at the last minute. It wouldn't be an adventure otherwise, would it?


So let's peel back the curtain a bit and let you step into our new digs. And because we're awesome, there's a surprise announcement at the end of the post as well. Excited? You should be.

12 May 2014

how to rent a home in tanzania.

For those following along, Ashley and I recently signed a one-year rental agreement for a home in Mwanza, Tanzania…finally! We have been homeless and living out of a suitcase since we moved out of our apartment in Dallas, Texas back in September 2013.

Let me tell you: 7.5 months without your own home as a married couple is no fun. It is so nice to have our own space again and do crazy things like cook our own meals and wake-up when we want to in the morning.

So what's it been like to rent a home in East Africa? Bonkers. Allow me to give you the highlights.


09 May 2014

reading rainbow - 9 may 2014.

Well, dear friends, only six and a half months of being homeless for us! We have officially signed on our new house! Which one? Well, for those of you who guessed House #3, you were right!


We'll be back next week to give you a run-down on the rental negotiation process and a full tour of our new digs. But for now, enjoy the weekend with these interesting reads!


08 May 2014

living among suffering.

What does it mean to live among those who suffer? No, I'm not talking about that Starbucks order that went awry this morning. Or even the annoying event of locking your keys in your car while it's running. (Guilty.) While I don't enjoy these situations either, they're what the World Wide Web likes to dub First World Problems, problems that the privileged few of the world enjoy.


Since moving to Tanzania, our perspective on suffering has shifted tremendously, especially since we've witnessed so much loss in such a short period of time.

05 May 2014

let's talk tanzanian culture - education.

Time for another session on Let's Talk Tanzanian Culture.

Today's topic? The Tanzanian education system.

Before getting into the details, I will give you the headline now: the education system in Tanzania is a broken mess. I have yet to speak with a local that feels differently. Fixing the educational structure will take a lot of work. The country is currently in the process of updating its constitution, so here's to hoping they overhaul the Ministry of Education (but I'm not holding my breath).



02 May 2014

reading rainbow - 2 may 2014.

What are you doing this weekend? Looking for some interesting reads to power you through your Friday? Then keep reading below!


01 May 2014

house hunter's international: tanzania, part ii.

You've never seen a sequel you didn't like, right?

Don't answer that.

About a month ago, we informed you of the first ten houses we saw in the Mwanza area, hoping that one would become our home for the next three years. Unfortunately, the House Gods had other plans. Although we were enticed by certain elements of some of the homes, none fit the bill of what we were looking for. But have no fear! As soon as we returned to Mwanza after language school, we got back on the house hunting bandwagon.