From Africa, with love.

Here is a little video with some of the highlights from my travels through Africa...

(All video shot on my Canon Powershot camera. Music by The Temper Trap)

Malawi via Instagram.

Before I write about my adventures in Zambia and Zimbabwe, here are some more pictures from my time in Malawi via Instagram. I loved posting photos throughout my journey for my friends and family back home- my mom even got my grandma and grandpa to join Instagram to follow along! Having my iPhone with me throughout my travels allowed me to capture so much at a moment's notice.

1. Roadside market on our drive from Lilongwe to Mzuzu.

2-5. Local markets and village scenes from Ntchisi Forest and Mzuzu.

6. & 7. Homemade, recycled toys. Watching the children play in the village was inspiring and eye-opening. They found so much joy in so little.

8. Village women in Mzuzu near our build site.
9. Dirt road traffic.

10. Victor, my right-hand man.
11. Working with Janice on the scaffolding at Happiness's home.

12. Shopping for fabrics in the market with Happiness and Nancy.
13. Heavy loads carried with ease.

14. & 15. The children on our worksite.

16. Lake Malawi.
17. Me, my camera, and a beer. Happy summer.

18. Yay! We found working wifi and real coffee at a hotel in Old Town, Lilongwe.

I am so grateful for these images and the memories they carry. Malawi will forever have a very special place in my heart.

My top five beverages in Africa.

While I was in Africa, I quickly developed a liking for several beverages that could be found throughout the region. Joanna, Janice, and I loved perusing the aisles at various People's and Shoprites in different cities in search of our favorite sodas, juices, and wines. We also made a point to sample the beers at each of our lodges over games of Spades and long conversations. And by the end of my journey, my top five beverages were established...

5. Any type of guava juice. Guava juice is basically candy in a jar. Every time I saw it in a market, I purchased and consumed it immediately. It was always a refreshing treat as we walked around town.

4. Carlsberg Green- Probably the best beer in the world. Carlsbergs are best when enjoyed with friends under thatched roofs with views of Lake Malawi. I am not sure if it is the best beer in the world, but I will say it is probably the best beer in Malawi.

3. Stoney Ginger Beer. I rarely drink soda in the states, but I couldn't get enough of Stoney Ginger Beer in Zambia.

2. Savanna Dry. Savanna Dry manages to taste like apple juice and have a 6% alcohol content. This cute little bottle packs a sneaky little punch...

1. Mosi Lager. Mosi Lager tops my list not because of its taste (although it was quite delicious), but because of all of the amazing memories made while drinking it. When I think of Mosi, I will remember sipping it at the bar in Croc Valley as hippos snorted and swam in the river a stone's throw away. I will remember drinking it as we cheered on the women's gymnastics team in Livingstone. And I will remember the friends that made my journey through Africa all the more meaningful. Only good memories of Mosi Lager.

A dedication and celebration.

On our final day in Mzuzu, we had the privilege of dedicating the homes to the families and celebrating with them over a home-cooked African meal. Our celebration began with a performance from the women who already live in Habitat homes. They sang traditional songs as they danced around in a circle, and after a few songs we joined in. The women were incredibly welcoming, and I know that they will be an amazing community for Nancy and Happiness to be a part of. We also put on a little performance of our own, singing our version of the Hokey Pokey rewritten to capture our experiences during the build. We build a house together and we will it up with love. That's what it's all about! 

After the performances, we walked to both homes and officially dedicated them to the families. Our dedications were followed by speeches from our team leaders, Joanna and Janice, Nancy, and Happiness's brother. We also thanked the work crews for all of their guidance and support and the community for welcoming us into their village.   

The children watched the dance performances and dedication. 

Lisa and Claus presenting Nancy and her nieces with a photo of our team. 

After the presentations, we all ate lunch together in one of the finished homes near our worksites. Two women from the village graciously cooked our traditional feast of nsima, rice, chicken, beef, potatoes coated in nut flour, and greens. After plates were filled, we sat back and talked to the families about moving into their new homes and reminisced about our week. The team discussed upcoming travel plans around Africa and our lives back home as plates were replenished. Sitting together with the families for a meal was the perfect way to conclude our experiences in Mzuzu.

Lisa, Janice, Jo, and Joanna. 

Iris, Claus, and Will. 

It is difficult for me to put into words what my experience in Mzuzu meant to me. It was meaningful in so many ways, life changing really. We were thanked throughout the week by the two homeowners for the work we did, but what those amazing women do not know is how thankful I am to have met them. I will never forget their kindness, their compassion, their commitment to their families, and their smiles. I know that I am a better person for knowing them. And for that I am so grateful. 

To build a home.

The purpose of my journey to Africa was to build homes in a small village in Mzuzu, Malawi. I joined a Habitat for Humanity Global Village team that my friends Janice and Joanna led, and worked alongside 12 amazing team members for a week laying bricks for two 4-room homes. The Global Village programs differ slightly from place to place, but regardless of location the families always build their new homes alongside the teams. Myself, along with the rest of the team, found this to be one of the most meaningful parts of the experience. 

Each day we split up into two smaller groups- one group worked on Nancy's home while the other worked down the road at Happiness's home. By the end of the week we had all worked on both houses; I worked on Happiness's home four out of the five days. 

I have so many fond memories from my week building homes in Mzuzu. The endless piles of bricks and mortar, the chickens and goats roaming the build sites, crisps and peanut snack breaks with the team, lunches packed with care from the Moni Lodge... the list could go on and on. But my most precious memories will forever be of the amazing people I met and spent time with that week...

The children. 
The children quietly appeared each morning on our work sites and watched us work throughout the day. It was amazing to observe how well behaved, joyful, and curious they were. They posed for pictures and giggled as they looked at their images on the backs of our cameras and iPhones. They ran up and down the dusty dirt roads with tires and homemade toys, laughing and playing with their friends. And they danced. Show those kids a move and they will do their best to replicate it. I found myself constantly admiring the children in the village for making the most of what they had and finding joy in the little things. 

The crew. 
Bless these men's hearts. They demonstrated patience, kindness, and humility as they taught us how to do a job that they excelled at. The foremen provided us with endless amounts of guidance as we slapped on mortar and laid row after row of bricks. At the beginning of the week, most of us needed each and every brick we placed wiggled and adjusted by the crew to line up with the string. But, by the end of the week we worked side by side quickly building row after row. It was an absolute pleasure to work with these guys, and their smiles and sense of humor made our days fly by.

Victor

Raffael

Frank, the "mortar machine."

The crew at Happiness's house building our scaffolding. 

The homeowners. 

Working with Happiness and Nancy, the two homeowners, was such an amazing experience. I spent most of my week working with Happiness. She will be living in her new home with six of her family members, including her husband and two beautiful daughters. This woman somehow managed to stay impeccably clean after hours of laying bricks, while the rest of us were covered head to toe in mud and dust. She is hardworking, loving, and has the most beautiful smile. I learned so much from our chats as we worked together to build the walls for her home.

Nancy has a regal quality about her, always dressed in beautifully sewn gowns made with traditional African fabrics. She not only takes care of her family and extended family, but also is in charge of looking after the people of her village as its current chief. When I think of Nancy, I think of warmth. She shrieks and hugs when she greets you, and her laugh is infectious. During our lunches, Nancy would sit with us and teach us about her community and its culture. She was honest in her answers to our questions and truly enriched our experience. She will be living in her new home with nine members of her family, including her nieces who also helped us build. 

Malawi is known as the warm heart of Africa, and based on my experiences with the people in Mzuzu, I couldn't agree more. They are the warm heart of Africa.

A glimpse into my Africa playlist...

Before I left for Africa, I thought long and hard about my playlists. I knew that I had several long flights and bus rides ahead of me and that my music would be essential while traveling. I scanned thousands upon thousands of songs in my iTunes library, searching for my favorite tracks that I could listen to again and again.

Little did I know that I would listen to my iPod so much during my travels that I would develop blisters in my ears from my ear buds. I popped in my headphones every night before bed while I recorded my thoughts and memories from the day in my travel journal. I listened to slower tracks when I woke up in the middle of the night and needed a distraction to fall back asleep. And music streamed through my headphones during my 40 hours of bus rides through Malawi and Zambia. These songs will forever remind me of my travels throughout Africa- the dusty roads, the small roadside villages, the breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, and the smell of smoke in the air.

Here is a small sampling from my Africa playlist. Enjoy!

Ntchisi Forest

My adventures in Malawi began as soon as I arrived in Lilongwe. After a day of getting settled at our lodge in New Area 12 and touring a local market in Old Town, my new friend Iris and I woke up before sunrise for our journey to the Ntchisi Forest Reserve. The forest contains some of the last indigenous rainforest in Malawi and is home to a variety of beautiful plants, flowers, insects, and animals. We were eager to explore the forest on our four and a half hour hike. 

We arrived at the Ntchisi Forest Lodge a little after 8:30 am and sipped on coffee as we reviewed a map of the forest. Petal, the manager of the lodge, pointed out the major sights to see on our hike and gave us some tips for our walk (watch out for the ants!). After second cups of coffee were poured and enjoyed, we were off on our hike! 

The beginning of the hike was beautiful. After walking down a long dirt road, we entered the forest and were immediately surrounded by lush, green forest. I was in awe as we climbed higher and higher, admiring the tall trees and unique plant life. And Iris was the perfect hiking companion. She encouraged me the entire time, eased my nerves when the path got rocky, and was just as excited as I was to stop and take it all in. 

The views from the Ntchisi Forest were breathtaking. The reserve was surrounded on all sides by rolling hills and valleys that were dotted with small villages and farms. Off in the distance, Lake Malawi blended into the blue, hazy horizon. We stopped at every view point, found a comfortable rock to sit on, and admired the amazing scenery. 

As our hike continued around the reserve, we walked through patches of cedar trees, observed the landscape change from green and lush to dry and rocky, and stood inside the giant tree. 

After our hike we were tired and ready for lunch! We made reservations to eat at the lodge that afternoon. The food at the Ntchisi Forest Lodge was absolutely delicious. We dined on a perfectly prepared spinach and onion quiche, fresh tomato and avocado salad, and the most amazing freshly baked tomato and onion bread. Oh, that bread... I had read about how amazing it was in the guestbook before our hike, and couldn't wait to try it. It exceeded all of my expectations! I continued to eat pieces of it long after I was full; the bread was too good to pass up. Iris and I enjoyed a second pot of coffee out on the patio before heading back to Lilongwe. We couldn't have asked for a better excursion to start our time in Malawi!

A very special thank you to Petal at the Ntchisi Forest Lodge for making our day so wonderful. Her hospitality made our experience all the more amazing, and our meal at the lodge was the perfect way to conclude our day at the Ntchisi Forest. Also, thank you to Masa for being such an excellent and reliable driver.