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Today was our last day in Africa, and I know I’ll miss it forever. We started the morning with some peaceful beach meditation and were amazed by the drastic low tide that had occurred overnight. The water had receded hundreds of feet, something I had never seen before! Afterward, we took a walk along the beach, enjoying the view of different resorts and spotting tiny, transparent crabs scurrying along the sand. Following a few hours of relaxing, we had lunch and then began our journey back to the port to catch the ferry. Unfortunately, I’ll never forget this ferry ride, but not for a good reason. I’m usually fine on boats, but this ride proved otherwise. It was extremely rocky, and almost everyone onboard needed a sick bag. Hearing all the sick people around me was, frankly, awful. After what felt like forever (but was only an hour and a half), we finally arrived in Dar es Salaam, where we were immediately met by a crowd of porters eager to help with our bags, for a tip, of course. We made a quick escape from the hustle and continued on to the airport. The first leg of our flight, from Dar to Amsterdam, was nine hours long, but thankfully, I slept through most of it, which made it go by quickly. The flight from Amsterdam to New York, however, was the complete opposite. I could barely sleep, and it felt like it dragged on forever. Once we landed in New York, we had to go through TSA and customs. Unfortunately, we missed our connecting flight to Fort Lauderdale. I was really disappointed because I was so ready to be home, see my family, sleep in my own bed, and eat some good old American food (even though the African dishes were absolutely delicious). Thankfully, the airline put us up in a hotel in Long Beach, and it turned out to be a beautiful place. It felt like a scene straight out of a summer vacation movie, with a beachside boardwalk and a local ice cream shop right off the path. I treated myself to a huge ice cream cone, and it was everything I needed. Later, we went out to an Italian restaurant for dinner, and I had the best Caesar salad and pasta I’ve ever tasted. By the time we got back to the hotel, I was beyond tired, but grateful to finally be back in the Eastern Standard Time zone, it felt like the first step to getting my sleep schedule back on track. The next morning, we woke up bright and early, packed our bags, and began the final stretch of our journey home. Siara Lewis Cohort 2024 
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Today marked another day of adventure for us. We awoke in our stunning hotel in Dar es Salaam, and I found myself not wanting to leave. The drive was enjoyable, but as we approached the port in Dar es Salaam to travel to Zanzibar, I felt a bit overwhelmed. The porters were rushing toward our car, which made me feel scared and anxious. We had to hurry due to some transportation issues from the hotel to the port, which caused us to be late for the ferry. Initially, I was afraid to board the boat because of my history with motion sickness, but the ride turned out to be fine. Upon arriving in Zanzibar, we embarked on a mini road trip that lasted about an hour and a half. The hotel seemed a bit sketchy at first, but once we entered the gate, the scenery was breathtaking. What I loved most about the hotel was its unique African art and culture, which provided a very welcoming experience. After settling into our rooms, my roommate and I quickly changed into our bathing suits and took a refreshing dip in the pool. We then had lunch and returned to the beautiful beach. The soft sand, clear blue water, and perfect scenery made it an ideal place to spend most of our day. As we relaxed on the beach, a local tribe called the Maasai began setting up a display of souvenirs, including keychains, mini animal figurines, bracelets, and waist beads. I was thrilled to find the perfect souvenir to take home from Africa to my family. After purchasing some items, we freshened up, put on nice clothing, and enjoyed dinner on the beach featuring delicious traditional African dishes. Throughout the evening, a friendly cat kept coming by, and I found myself quite fond of it. After we finished dinner, we conducted our interviews with the videographer and relaxed in the room while each person took their turn. The photographer then grabbed us to show that the water at the beach was actually 20 feet away from where we had been earlier. After that, we went to bed because we were exhausted from all the water activities we did today. Emori Dennis Cohort 2024 I had to wake up at 3:30 a.m. and be ready to leave for the safari by 4:00. As soon as I got on the bus, I drifted right back to sleep. The ride to Mikumi National Park took a few hours, and we arrived around 8 a.m., giving me a chance to catch up on some much-needed rest after such an early start. By the time we arrived, I was starving. We hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, and my stomach was definitely making it known. We climbed into our safari jeep, which looked like something straight out of the movie Madagascar and I could already tell we were in for a real adventure. The jeep took us to a small breakfast hut, where I had scrambled eggs, fruit jelly, and bread. The jelly was surprisingly good, honestly better than most I’ve ever had. I was glad I took a chance and tried it. After breakfast, the adventure truly began. As we rode deeper into the park, wildebeests were everywhere, often accompanied by zebras. Fun fact: wildebeests can actually smell water and often lead zebras to it. Zebras really just follow along, kind of lazy, right? A little while later, we spotted a group of wild antelope. One male stood proudly, surrounded by a group of females, apparently, he had fought to earn that position. Nature really doesn’t play around! Next came the water crossings. Our jeep plowed through puddles and muddy paths, making the ride bumpy and exciting. At one point, I seriously thought we were going to flip, but thankfully, we didn’t. Whew! We stopped at a small camp area for lunch and bathroom breaks. Lunch was unexpectedly delicious, we had burritos (I’m not entirely sure what was in them, but they were really good) and bananas. Although, I’m not a fan of overly soft bananas, so I passed on those. Back on the road, our mission was to find elephants, but instead, we stumbled upon a lion! It looked like he’d been rolling around in the dirt and could definitely use a bath, but it was still so cool to see one up close. A little later, we also saw some warthogs, they looked almost unreal, like cartoon characters come to life. This safari was truly unforgettable. From the early morning start to the wild animal sightings and the thrill of the bumpy jeep ride, it was a day I’ll always remember. If you ever get the chance to visit Mikumi National Park, go for it! It’s 100% worth it. Antwaniya Massie Cohort 2024 Today was a busy day! We woke up around 6:30 a.m., grabbed some breakfast, and headed to the Kigoma Airport to catch our 8:00 a.m. flight to Dar es Salaam. Thankfully, we made our flight and arrived safely. Once we landed, we got a ride to our hotel. The hotel was beautiful, it had three bedrooms and three bathrooms! We arrived around 12:00 p.m., and then had a Rotary meeting scheduled for 2:30 p.m. At the meeting, we met some wonderful women who are part of the Rotary International Dar es Salaam, Oyster Bay Board. We learned so much about how the system works in Tanzania, as well as about each and every one of the women who were invited to fellowship with us. It was inspiring to sit with women who are deeply committed to service and hear about the impact they're making in their community. The meeting ended around 5:00 p.m. and we had some time to chat with each of the women individually. The conversations were filled with purpose and meaningful exchange, reminding us how powerful it is when women come together to support one another across continents. After our Rotary connection, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for our annual cultural immersion raffle. We prepped our speech and then went all the way live! Going live, really worked up an appetite. Unfortunately, our dinner took so long to arrive. It felt like we were waiting for hours. When the food finally came, the fried rice with that chili sauce was well worth the wait! When we got back from dinner, we took showers, relaxed, and headed to bed, so that we were well-rested for another exciting day on the horizon. Oldina Bigot Cohort 2024  Jambo! Today started off with breakfast at sunrise, and I will never get tired of seeing the beautiful sunrises and sunsets over Lake Tanganyika. We were then taken to meet various government officials from the Buhigwe District, including those specializing in health and sanitation and education. We spoke to them about our service project and showed them the solar-powered cars we planned to build with the students and the hygiene kits we prepared for distribution. The journey to Buhigwe was very long and bumpy. Although it was a long drive, it was fascinating to peer out of the window and take in all of the scenery. I got to see the beautiful hills, different villages, and even the view of another country during the two-hour journey. As we got closer to the school, we had to travel off-road, which is where all the bumps and dust began to appear. The rattling of our seats and bodies, let me know we were close to our destination. When we arrived at the Buhigwe school, we were warmly greeted by village and school leaders. We shared our plans with them, and they were so kind and excited about the impact we would have on the kids. We received a tour of the school, and the school leaders proudly showed us the new bathrooms they are building for the girls, which was a much-needed facility for the young girls at the school. They will now have female-only restrooms and a private room to change for their sanitary needs. We ended the day with dinner and even got to see a zebra right by the pool! This place and people are amazing, so blessed to be here! Siara Lewis Cohart 2024 It all began with Rotary, thanks to one man who saw potential in me. Big shoutout to Christian, he’s the one with true vision and potential. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that I’m going to Africa. This is beyond amazing! I’m so excited to see what Leading With Love is all about. The girls seem really cool, and I can’t wait to build a strong bond with them. I hope this cultural immersion teaches me a lot and gives me something valuable to bring back to my little brother. I want to show him that there’s so much more to the world out there. My head is filled with so many questions, nerves, and fears, but we’re going to push through that. Dr. Alexander is someone I’m really looking forward to getting closer to. She’s so funny and full of good energy, I love her spirit. And Ms. Dwanita feels like another mother, guiding us through this journey. I’m still kind of scared of the plane rides, but I’d rather experience them with people I’m getting to know than with strangers I’ve never met, like when I join the Navy. We’re going to try to leave fear at home and keep pushing forward with faith. I hope this trip is safe and treats us well. It’s a big step, and I know it will be filled with unforgettable experiences. I can’t wait to immerse myself in the culture, learn new things, and make memories that will last a lifetime. This journey is not just about me, it’s about bringing back lessons and experiences to share with my little brother, and showing him that there’s a BIG world full of opportunities and adventures. With every step, I’ll be thinking about how to make the most of this incredible opportunity, growing closer to my travel buddies and mentors. This trip is going to be a transformative experience, and I am ready to embrace it with an open heart and mind. Antwaniya Massie Cohort 2024 I can’t believe we’re leaving soon. It still doesn’t feel real, like I’m really leaving to go to Africa. Like I’m actually traveling with a group of people and staying with them for a whole week. That alone is such a new experience for me. I’m so grateful for Christian, you all might have heard of him already, but he is the main reason I have this opportunity to go to Africa. The fact that he saw so much potential and talent in me, and chose me to be part of this organization, means so much. I’ll be honest, I’m nervous. This is my first time being on a plane, my first time outside the country, and so many other firsts. But more than anything, I’m grateful for this experience and the chance to learn about new cultures, languages, people, and how they dress. I hope to gain new knowledge. I hope to build new friendships and get to know the adults who are going with us. Honestly, I wasn’t nervous about leaving at first, but now that it’s getting real, the nerves are starting to kick in. Still, I’m looking forward to seeing the different villages and experiencing how people live in Tanzania. I heard that the hotel in Kigoma where we’re staying has animals on the property, so I’m expecting to see animals I’d never see here in Miami. I’m also excited to try new foods and learn how people do things differently over there. I’ve also heard about the water situation, and I know I’ll have to get used to using bottled water. I’m looking forward to hearing more about that from Zanzabair and Mrs. Dwanita. I’m leaving with an open mind and I’m ready to step out of my comfort zone. Oldina Bigot Cohort 2024  We leave for Africa in a couple of days, and I am very excited. Throughout the entire process, applying for the trip, completing my documents, and attending the leadership institute, I was never nervous, only excited. But now, I’m starting to feel a little nervous. I’m not nervous about leaving; I’m more scared of anything bad happening or getting sick. Still, I know I will have a great time, and I can’t wait to experience the amazing opportunities ahead. During this cultural immersion, I hope to gain a better understanding of African culture. In school and in the media, I’ve mostly heard negative things about Africa, so I’m really looking forward to forming my own perspective. I’ve learned about a lot of African countries, but I’ve never heard much about Tanzania, so I’m especially interested in learning more about it. I hope to form lasting friendships with the other girls going on the trip and make awesome memories along the way. I’ve never traveled outside of the country or to a different time zone before, so I expect my body will need some time to adjust to the seven-hour time difference. I also hope there isn’t too much of a language barrier in Tanzania and that I’ll still be able to communicate well with the people there. I’m really looking forward to visiting the villages and seeing how people live in Tanzania. I’m also excited about going on a safari to see the animals. I’m not expecting to see any specific animals so I don’t get my hopes up, I’ll be happy to see any of them! I can’t wait to meet the students, give them hygiene kits, and build solar-powered cars together. Overall, I want to gain a deeper understanding of the world beyond America. I know this trip will benefit me both personally and professionally. I hope it helps me become more open-minded in everything I do after stepping outside of my comfort zone. Siara Lewis Cohort 2024 I'm feeling incredibly excited as our departure is less than two weeks away! It's hard to believe that this will be my first time traveling abroad, not just for leisure but to make a positive impact in the community. I have to admit, I got a bit emotional and teary-eyed thinking about the upcoming travel and being away from the familiar for an extended period. However, I've come to realize that this journey will be something truly special and unforgettable. I hope to gain a deeper appreciation for diverse cultures through this experience. I am particularly looking forward to trying out the various cuisines, especially since I've discovered that Tanzanian cuisine has influences from Indian cuisine as well. I also hope that this trip will help me enhance my leadership skills. Today, I plan to go shopping for the items on the packing list. I already have the clothes I know I can bring, but I still have to add more items. I am extremely excited about immersing myself in the art, culture, and breathtaking scenery that await me. I am very confident that the other Love Leaders and I will bond easily throughout our meetings. We have already started a bond and created our sisterhood. Each girl has a unique personality that is interesting to learn about. I feel that this trip will bring us closer and help us build connections that will last throughout our adult years. So far, we have already started bonding and made a group chat where we discuss the trip as well as our academic achievements and personal topics. Emori Dennis Cohort 2024 |