By Lucia Rodriguez

As I sit in the hut here at Hakuna Lodge, where Anson has been making us laugh for the past 3 hours, I realize that the people will be the most incredible part of this trip. It is hard to describe the indescribable with Anson BUT I think he manages to make us laugh with very few words, with his obsession with Spanish songs, and peculiar Chinese songs. He has captivated the group with his incredible dance moves. I appreciate him so much more.

From asking me how I feel after puking my guts out all morning (unfortunate reaction to malaria meds – don’t worry, I’m 100% good now!), to listening and asking questions about this beautiful place, the actions of the group so far are testimony to it. While we haven’t been here for a long time, I can tell everybody feels more comfortable with each other than they did before. I can tell we are all excited to be a part of this experience and that we have so much to learn from it.

The locals we meet will also be vital for this trip. Bandia and his family, being the first, have been the perfect example of the hospitality Alter told us we would feel here. We drove directly from the airport to their house and immediately felt comfortable. Even the people we have met for a brief time, like our guide in the small village we visited or our boat driver, have managed to put smiles on our faces.

I cannot wait to keep forming connections, both between us and the people of this wonderful place. I hope to see how people live differently than we do and how they share what is customary for them. I hope to experience a little bit of the day to day life here to understand the people who live all the way here. I feel grateful in advance. The people make the difference.

I know I will keep hearing laughs for many days, and Anson will most certainly be the culprit for a lot of them. The joy of the simple things is so powerful here. I hope to carry that forward.