Arusha Time Warp

My sister has returned to the States and I am continuing on my trek into the mysterious dark heart of Africa, where I am battling mosquitoes and the other savage blood-sucking tribe of Northern Tanzania, also known as “UN ICTR lawyers.” I say this jokingly of course—the mosquitoes aren’t too bad this time of year.
I’m in Arusha now, where I worked at the UN for several months last year. It has been great to visit friends and reconnect with former UN colleagues. Indeed, I spent most of the day today roaming around my old office and talking to the lawyers on my team about the work I’m doing now on the Fellowship.
However, it feels quite surreal to be back here, especially since most of my friends and colleagues have since moved on… Some are in The Hague and others are scattered around the globe. The people that made this place home last year are gone, but being in Arusha still feels comfortable and familiar, like putting on an old pair of slippers. Despite many changes in this growing town, I can still navigate around easily and my Swahili has come back, flowing naturally off my tongue. I feel deeply nostalgic but at the same time I can’t help but think about how far I’ve come in a year and how much I look forward to what lies ahead.