Around the Bends: Embracing the Road Ahead

The roads in Rwanda are windy and hilly, and I have been spending a fair amount of time on them over the past couple months. They offer stunning views, and a fantastic perspective, but at times can be a bit challenging. Beautifully paved roads turn into rough 4WD patches at the turn of the wheel, open stretches with little traffic gives way to chaotic junctions, and oncoming busses are often just around the bend. The reason I'm telling you about the road conditions here, besides emphasising the need for good infrastructure, is to serve as a bit of an analogy of my life out here so far.

I consistently pinch myself, realising how lucky I am to be living a very nice lifestyle in such a beautiful place. Work is enjoyable, and I am very lucky to be doing something I find to be meaningful and impactful. Even if its just making notes on policy revisions or drafting up sections of business plans, I genuinely am excited about what I'm doing. I've also been selected to travel to Uganda in October to conduct some market research for a USAID funded project, which will be especially good experience. I've been given more responsibility on projects, and overall I am learning a ton.
I've also finally settled into a long term accommodation, sharing a centrally located apartment with a friendly german housemate. It's a nice modern unit in a shared compound, but is quiet, semi private, and even has a little patio out front. A bit expensive, but frankly it's ideal. I also have a good social group, which, while still a bit transient, provides for good company and entertainment. I was even invited to a Rwandan wedding and graduation party, both a lot of fun, and a great opportunity to get to know more Rwandans outside of work.

Perhaps the biggest recent highlight was having one of my good friends from Leeds come visit. I showed her around Kigali, and we took trips out to Akagera (a somewhat wildlife-thin safari park in the eastern savannah side of the country), and Lake Kivu. We also stayed at some absolutely gorgeous lodges at both locations, so got to soak up a bit of luxury. All in all, it was great being able to play tour guide, and she seemed to really enjoy Rwanda. Even better, she flew in on my birthday! It also served as a great opportunity to recharge after a stressful month house-hunting and moving. For all this and more I am incredibly grateful.

There is a new section of road not too far from where I live, which simply serves as a detour around a new commercial development. However, it's usually nice and quiet at night, is well maintained and has just the slightest bends to provide for a fun ride on my moto scooter. Adrenaline up, a cool breeze hitting my face, and the lights of the city ahead, I can't help but smile. Much of my life here is this road, the bit that keeps me moving. But every now and then, just like anywhere, I'll hit a bump. Nothing major, but enough to keep me grounded. Whether it be spending two full days at banks across town trying to withdraw USD for my rent, or breaking down in the middle of a safari park, bumps (both literal and metaphorical) do exist. In fact even since drafting this post, our apartment was burglarized while we were sleeping; nothing personal was stolen, but it was still quite unsettling. Granted, random challenges arise anywhere, and I'd have to be quite naive to expect otherwise. However, when living 10,000 miles away from home, in a place where systems and standards are quite different, the bumps can seem a bit more intense. Rwanda overall is a very comfortable place to live, and I do not mean to make it sound otherwise, but living abroad anywhere naturally intensifies the everyday highs and lows. While I've spoken of these up's and downs plenty of times before, I have come to realise that accepting these challenges is just part and parcel of becoming established.

I may be quite settled now socially, personally, and professionally, but in some ways I miss what I had in other places. Seeing friends get engaged, or buy a house, or even just settling down longer term, makes me feel at times like I am missing out. I am in essence, always seeing whats going on from afar. However, I am constantly reminded that while life continues to turn, I am blessed to be where I am now, pursing a career that I am passionate about. Living abroad provides for an 'intense' lifestyle, and everyday experiences can differ greatly from the routines 'back home'. Living in Rwanda may not feel the same as living in the US or UK with an established group of friends, but it wasn't meant to. Part of the joys of living here and working in the development field, is to experience something completely different. Where else would I get to experience an African wedding, witness a conga line celebration on election night, fall asleep to the sounds of hippos, and kayak in one of Africa's Great Lakes, all in one week? The road may be a bit windy and bumpy at times, and I may not always know what's coming at me from around the corner, but it sure does offer one heck of a view in the meantime! Here's to embracing the challenging, inconsistent, yet incredibly beautiful road ahead.