Tanzania: African Cultures & Landscapes

My summer in Tanzania was truly amazing. To be quite honest, Tanzania was nothing like I imagined it to be. While all my friends were going to Spain, France, and other European countries to enhance their language skills, I was having the time of my life in Tanzania. It's definitely a different type of program. Not many people have the opportunity to travel to and experience life in an African country, and those who haven't will never be able to understand your experience completely. Tanzania is such a culturally rich place with their preservation of traditional tribes, captivating music industry, and beautiful art and carvings. The people are so welcoming and they have the kindest hearts. We took on everything one day at a time. Everything is "pole pole." I think that going on this trip before my senior year of high school really allowed me to reassess myself and my values. Overall, this trip taught me so much about myself and expanded my perspective on many issues. It's really the place to form a pure connection with the people and enjoy the beautiful nature and culture.

My trip to Tanzania was unforgettable. I experienced many thing that I will remember for the rest of my life. I had many highlights throughout my trip but one of my favorite parts was staying with my home stay families. I love children and I got really close to my little sisters from the moment I met them. It was really hard to say goodbye to them. I'm thankful for my home stay families because they taught me a lot about there culture and traditions. I know I wouldn't have learned as much as what they have taught me, just by reading a textbook in a classroom. I got to experience there way of life and I stepped out of my comfort zone to do so. Another part I enjoyed from this trip was The safaris. I took many beautify pictures of the wild life animals. Spending a full day outside in the nature, looking at all the animals was just incredible. Overall my experience was amazing and I am so thankful to have been a part of the EIL 2017 Tanzania group.

I'm not the most open person. I keep to myself. I'm not really a people person. I'm the quiet kid in the back of the classroom that has his head stuffed in books about animals around the world. But being a part of The Experiment opened my eyes in a way I thought I'd never be able to. I made new friends and met the most inspiring people in a place I never thought possible. I honestly chose this program because I wanted to see exotic African wild life. I did have that experience but the best part of The Experiment was getting unbelievably close to my group. Being able to open up and not just be some tourist but actually be welcomed into the homes and be part of the local community. They accepted us and included each and every one of us. We formed bonds that will be part of us for the rest of our lives. I'm so glad I didn't let my fear of the unknown hold me back. Because I in fact did have a lot fun and an experience that I wouldn't trade for anything.

This past summer I went on a five week trip to Tanzania with eleven other students I had never met before and it was an invaluable experience. This trip was focused on language and cultural discovery so we would have daily Swahili lessons and were always learning about the new areas we traveled to. As a group we really clicked right away, none of us knew each other before but when you are with new people in a new place it is very easy to relate and connect. Our two group leaders also really helped with bonding and debriefing after days filled with excitement, we would talk about questions we might have about this new place, or funny stories that happened from the day. Our group was filled of many different personalities but we were able to connect and relate. One of my favorite parts of the trip was the home stay, we got to stay in a small coastal village with a family, we ate meals together and would spend whole days without seeing the other group members. At first this was scary, having to be with a family that didn’t know English very well and I didn’t know their language very well wither but it ended up being the best and most memorable experience. We saw elephants, beautiful mountains, artwork, performances, this trip was just filled with so many learning experiences and amazing things. The Experiment really focuses on being students and not tourists and I really enjoyed that aspect, we weren’t standing on the sidelines observing, we were relating, getting involved, and asking questions about the real culture.