A Heart Always Remembers

Arusha, Tanzania is one of the most beautiful places on the planet; not because of the lush vegetation and vibrant colors, but because of the people. Walking around town, it is rare to pass a stranger that does not say hello and welcome you to Tanzania. Driving to the school, every child you see smiles and waves. At L.O.A.M.O, it is impossible to walk around school without being hugged and wished a good morning. The culture here is so overwhelmingly welcoming that in the short amount of time I have been here, I have found a place that will always be home.

It is for this reason that when I hear the word “Tanzania”, the first thought in my mind will be of smiling faces and beautiful laughter. I have seen elephants, lions, zebras, and more, but the students at L.O.A.M.O outshone them all. I have never felt so much love and gratitude radiating from one place, and it is hard for me to imagine it existing anywhere else. I have seen and done so much on this trip, but there isn’t enough time in the universe to accomplish everything. I am not ready to leave L.O.A.M.O, but I never will be. Even if I had stayed here for years, I would have always needed one more hug, one more dance, and one more smile.

I think that is what made Saturday’s goodbye the hardest one yet. Two of my students, Noel and Precious, muttered quiet “I love you”s through tight hugs. When I told them the same, their only question was “then why are you leaving?” Tears welled in my eyes and I was left utterly speechless. How do you explain that a plane ticket is your best excuse for leaving to two children who only want love? All I could do was pull them closer and whisper, “Because I know my heart will always remember you.” Precious nodded and wiped tears from my cheeks while Noel grabbed my hand for one last time and pressed a folded letter into my palm.

Watching their bus drive away, it did not feel like the last time I would see them. My brain said it was goodbye, but my heart knew that it would always return home. Maybe I’ll see the students at L.O.A.M.O next summer, or maybe I’ll never get the opportunity to see them again. Either way, we will sleep under the same stars and I will take comfort in the fact that I never truly left them, for you can never leave family.