CIEE Iringa Tanzania

I remember my very first night moving into my dorm room. I was assigned to room 18 where I had one American roommate and two Tanzanian roommates. The room was tiny, barely enough room for all four of us at once. I remember feeling as if I had brought way too much luggage. My Tanzanian roommates were friendly but didn't speak much english and we didn't speak much Swahili. My roommate and I both needed to shower so we gathered our showering supplies (bucket, scooper, shampoo, and soap) and headed on our first of many new experiences, taking a shower out of a bucket. Our water was freezing! We both got back to our room and we both hysterically laughed and cried together. I remember asking myself what I had gotten myself into and feeling like I would never adjust to my new environment. After a few weeks went by though I became so close to my Tanzanian roommates who began to teach me how to live a more comfortable life. For example they would let me borrow their tea kettle so I could heat up my water before my shower so it would be warm. They also helped us to set up our mosquito nets, organize our things, and to learn the language. When I moved out of the dorms to head home I felt so sad to leave the place that I had made my home. Journeying to Tanzania will be full of challenges but it will become one of the hardest experiences you'll love.