I’m writing this blog post sitting at my kitchen table in the village of Rwinkwavu, watching the sunset over the valley as another day comes to a close. It’s moments like these, when the chorus of chatter in the neighboring houses and birds chirping to each other is filling the air, that I am filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for my life. I have been so fortunate to live in Rwanda for five months now, where geckos in my ceiling and basketball shoes scattered all around my house have become the new norm. Rainy season came and went, just as all things seem to do here. The sun has settled into its regular post directly above my head for the majority of the daytime hours, so my farmer’s and sock tans are at an all time high. The month of May was filled with so many highs and so few lows, you’ll probably think I’m exaggerating when I tell you about it. But I assure you, life really is this good right now.
If you can believe it, my first major purchase in May was a new tattoo from the Last Pharaohs Ink shop in Kigali. I would love to tell you I haven’t gotten another one since then, but I can’t lie to you, so I won’t. Instead, I’ll tell you that although my mom isn’t too stoked about it, my three new additions have healed well and have made a lot of kids at our courts smile. I spent a good portion of the beginning of the month in Kigali, handling some visa paperwork to ensure I could stay for the remainder of my fellowship without any issues. Kigali is just like any other city in the world, bustling with people and noise. In the spirit of complete honesty, I will say that while I may eat better when I’m in the city, I much prefer my home in the village. The peace and stillness of my little neighborhood is unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been, so whenever I am presented with the choice, you’ll likely find me with my iPad, water bottle, and crocs on my couch in Rwink. The middle of the month was full of practices across the Kayonza District and anticipation for what was to come.
My family came to visit for a week towards the end of the month, which still has me feeling refreshed and recharged. You can show your brother countless pictures and FaceTime your mom every single day, but nothing does Rwanda justice quite like visiting and experiencing it for yourself. Taking them to my house, introducing them to our house manager and friend Chantal, and letting them attend practices at two of our courts was extremely important to me, as I wanted them to get a real glimpse into my life here. While my daily activities may vary, waking up to journal and ending my night with a walk home from practice is pretty standard, so I wanted to make sure we took enough time for them to soak it all in. One of my mom’s bucket list items has always been to go on a safari trip in Africa, so I’m really glad we got to check that off as a family. I wish I had more eloquent words to describe her reaction to seeing a zebra in the wild for the first time, but I am not going to try and write about pure joy with insignificant words. We then traveled back to Kigali, where my family got to eat at various restaurants, visit local shops, and even attend some BAL games with me. Watching my brother and step-dad pick teams to root for and get invested in the games was so fun, I wish I could’ve bottled the excitement up. I know you may not believe me, but I actually did not cry when I dropped them off at the airport. Instead, I felt peaceful as they disappeared from view, knowing that I got to share this part of myself with them. I know that for the rest of our days, we’ll all remember different highlights from this visit and recall those memories fondly.
After wrapping up the personal chapter of May, it was back to grinding work mode. One day was spent all day at our court in Mayange, painting in preparation for our event in collaboration with the BAL. Another day was spent running around town in Kigali, buying materials and triple-checking things to make sure they were absolutely perfect. On the last day of the month, we hosted the BAL’s U23 women’s team and many other visitors at Mayange, where they got to run basketball drills with our female beneficiaries and listen in on a health lesson.
I was fortunate enough to attend multiple BAL games during the last week of the month, including the championship game. While the NBA has mastered many aspects of professional basketball, there is an excitement surrounding the BAL unlike anything else I’ve ever felt.
As you may have already guessed, May was my favorite month I’ve had in Rwanda since coming here at the beginning of the year. If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be full. My heart is happy, my body is tired, and my head is calm. Does it get better than that?