Bittersweet goodbye

Hi everyone, Laura here! I am currently procrastinating packing my suitcase as it is our last day here in Mongu. This realization has brought up a whirlwind of feelings and emotions, so I thought I would share with you all the biggest things I learned over the last 4 weeks. Being in Africa, I have come to learn many things. Things about myself and also about the world around me. I feel very grateful to have been able to come to a new country to learn about the nursing profession while also learning and experiencing an entirely new culture.

I didn't come into this adventure with many expectations, in fact my mentality was based around the saying 'no expectations, no disappointments' and I think it really worked in my favour. I have loved every part of this trip. Everything ranging from the new clinical experiences, to learning how people on another continent live their lives. Being here has made me conscious of myself in relation to others and how it feels to be a minority which doesn't generally happen in my everyday life in Canada.

As much as I have loved and been so grateful for this experience, it was not without some challenges as well. There have been times where I have caught myself feeling almost ashamed of some of my privileges such as being able to comfortably afford a new pair of shoes once mine broke, or being able to easily go into town to buy bottled water whenever it was convenient for me. Realizing this has been very humbling for me and it's made me aware of the fact that in the Western world, we have a tendency to live way beyond our means. This trip has made me recognize that this is, in itself, what privilege means. I did nothing to earn the life full of resources that I have back in Canada, I just happened to be born there.

Leaving Mongu, the feelings I have are bittersweet. There are so many adventures and stories and memories that I cannot wait to take back home with me, and I hope that the people here learned as much from me as I did from them.