Habari za jioni! (Good evening) And greetings from Arusha, Tanzania! Skyeler here, your trusty set-up leader and everone’s favorite “mzungu,” ready to give friends and family alike a little pre-trip play-by-play for Global Routes’ Tanzania 2012!!! An excessive use of exclamation marks you say?! Well, not if you’d spent the last six days basking in this amazing country’s warmth and character!
I just returned from a couple days in Ulturoto, the village where we will perform our service project and let me tell you: it is beyond georgous there. Groves of banana trees shade coffee plants, goats roam like gruff little hippies, quaint, narrow little footpaths meander in all directions, and everywhere Mohamed (our amazing local leader) and I amble we’re greeted by unabashed, gleeful children. Apparently we’re going to live in the African Shire 😉
Nineteen families initially expressed interest in hosting our students! Mo and I visited all of them and  whittled it down to 8 homes we needed. We did have to turn down a few families who didn’t have the space or whose homes were dominated by chickens! One home had an indoor chicken coop! Who am I to make him evict his chickens?
Obviously this trip is going to be quite an adventure! We’ll be sure to keep you all posted. The students arrive tomorrow night and I cannot wait to share this incredible place with all its sublime beauty, peaceful and friendly culture, and endearing idiosyncracies with our GR crew!
Wish us “Bahati Njema!” (Good Luck) and have a great summer yourselves!!
Baadaye!!
Skyeler
