Discover, Wander and Cherish in Times of Unity and Uncertainty

"Happiness is only real when shared" - Jon Krakauer (Into the Wild).

I have been reflecting a lot on on Jon Krakauer's quote over the past few weeks. During these difficult times the world is facing, this quote provides me with a sense of strength, comfort and hope. A powerful reminder to embrace and rely on the community around me, as I realize I might not be able to return to Chile in the next year or so. Despite our challenging circumstances, staying in Moshi with 20 other UWC students, reminds me that l am lucky to be surrounded by such an amazing and caring community. We feel that we are not alone.

During my time living in Tanzania, I have learned to cherish the small things, the importance of kindness and love with another another, and realizing that these "small things" go a long way and carry great beauty and significance. Making a birthday cake with pancakes for our friend Nam from Vietnam, devouring a delicious plate of pasta with fresh tomatoes, wandering around Moshi with my friends in a bagagi, blasting afrobeats, and receiving something as simple as a smile from someone you love.

Over the past few months, we've processed a whole bunch of chaotic experiences while being away from home. That's why, the closure of our beautiful campus until further notice took us completely by surprise. The first couple of days were quite challenging. Saying our farewells and hugging someone you love one last time. We knew we wouldn't see many of our friends for a while, and the second years, possibly not again. However, I was fortunate to be received along with my two closest friends in the house of our amazing link-parents (ujaparents) from the Netherlands. This wonderful family, Rene, Christine and Sil, provided us the support, love and shelter we needed the most. Christine, our ujamother, would remind us, "we have to make the most out of it".

Life feels like a tombola as one of Manu Chao's songs says. These weeks have provided me with space for enormous introspection and a space to reconnect and build a deeper appreciation for my surroundings and the beautiful community I am lucky to be part of. A space to strengthen our ties more than ever.

While staying in Moshi for longer, I have been exploring more of its surroundings and its very essence much more. Whole afternoons exploring places I had not visited before. Enjoying delicious chips mayai with Elena and Ximena. Every morning, we would take a bagagi while listening to top hits in Swahili heading to the town center. And so, we would spend several hours having memorable conversations at Union Café, eating pizza and a rejuvenating coffe, then walking more down the streets, buy some fruit in the Zoko, and enjoying our ride back to campus.

Little by little I broke down Moshi’s essence, gaining more confidence in my conversational swahili, talking to locals and navigating my way around the streets. We embraced Moshi's humid weather, the town’s complexity in its simplicity, and our beautiful friendships.

Facing this global crisis in Tanzania has provided me with a unique opportunity to learn more about the country's history and its people in greater depth. About a month after the school closed, the campus decided to re-open and receive those who were unable to return to their countries once again. Despite being away from my homeland, I am beyond grateful I get to share this experience with my friends. Beyond grateful to wake up every morning to the song of joyous birds and fall asleep with the sound of crickets and the rain showering our ground. These are the small things that make me feel at home and remind me that we are not alone and that there's so many precious moments and people to be grateful for.

Keeping ourselves strong and supporting each other is essential to our very beings. Especially now. How crucial and beautiful it is to cherish the time we have and our forged unity. We have to appreciate the little thins that life gifts us every single day. It is fundamental to remember how important it is to stay together under these circumstances because, in the end, togetherness is the only thing that sustains us. Kindness, compassion and joy still persists. Love persists. Let’s remember that we will all be able to overcome these difficult times by staying together as a one supportive community.