We’re down to our last days in Malawi and in between giving out goodbye hugs and packing I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting about the many things I’ve enjoyed about this tour. If you asked me to give you one word to describe our time in Malawi I’d definitely have to choose “wholesome”. In many ways, it felt like a throwback to my childhood in which we whiled away the hours playing board games, having neighborhood block parties and going camping. Life was simple, yet satisfying.
In Malawi, the absence of typical amenities like movie theatres, malls and Starbucks has required us to opt for bbqs and board game nights instead. And the unreliability of technology and electricity had us enjoying the outdoors (and occasionally eating in the dark). There was nothing we could do about it, so best to just roll with it…
And then there was the pace of life. Things are SLOW here. The majority of Malawians walk or bike. Roads are empty by 7 PM because the street lights don’t work so it’s dangerous to be out. And weekends are lazy, not full of errands. We literally would stop and smell the flowers and pull out our binoculars to check out the cool bird in our backyard. Yet it was because we had slowed down that we had time to appreciate the beauty of the people and surroundings.
The thing I will remember most about Malawi is the many hours I spent walking the streets of Lilongwe. I set a goal of hitting 10,000 steps a day, which meant that most every day I needed to get out for a 30-45 minute walk. Some days I just jammed out to tunes and high-fived the cute kids that I walked by.
Other days, I participated in more formal walking groups. When possible, I walked with the Walkie Talkies on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday. They became some of my dearest friends and require an entire post devoted to their awesomeness (coming next week).
I also put together a Sunday walking group called Weekend Walkers. These were typically more of the full-time working people who couldn’t do Walkie Talkies but wanted to walk on a regular basis. It was very informal and kids (especially babies) were plentiful.
We’d meet up at 8 or 8:30, go for an hour walk and then enjoy some social time. We were quite a site to behold. I’m pretty sure the Malawians thought we were crazy because they only walk to get somewhere, whereas we were just walking for fun. One even asked me one time why we didn’t just use our cars. :)
Nia was all about the social aspect of weekend walkers, but not so into the walking. She can be very persuasive though and frequently convinced people to give her piggy back rides. I also noticed that she walked with fewer complaints when she was holding a 10-12 year old’s hand (my kid LOVES big kids). Thankfully they were all really sweet to her. And I will say that her endurance improved over the course of the year.
The social component of Weekend Walkers was either a potluck brunch after at someone’s house or…
coffee and breakfast at a local restaurant.
This truly was the perfect combination of socializing, eating and physical activity. I know I’m going to miss it immensely, especially since Mumbai will make walking difficult due to overcrowding, limited sidewalk space and pollution. I may just have to become a mall walker in Mumbai. :)Â Special shout out to my weekend walking pals – thanks for being the perfect start to a Sunday. I will always remember our time together fondly. xoxo
