But I think the most important lesson that I've learned, is that when you're a girl abroad, you can never let your guard down. I let my guard down when I went to a local market on Saturday and, as a result, my phone (mkono) was stolen. While there is a good chance that it fell out of my pocket, it is more likely that it was stolen, because from the moment I got out of the car, I was constantly surrounded by guys trying to sell me things. While I was telling someone "No, I don't want to buy anything" someone else could've grabbed it out of my pocket. There was also a guy who held pants up to my waist and kept saying "So simple. So simple." He could've taken it out of my pocket, too, when he pulled the pants away.
In retrospect, I should've left my phone at camp. I took it with me because one, it's habit and two, I wanted to take pictures of the market. I bought a pay as you go phone to use during my last two weeks so I still have a way to communicate with my family. Maybe it will be good for me to be without a smart phone for two weeks. It will definitely remind me of the caution I need to take in life. I am not invincible and I am not excluded from horrible/awful events in life.
Besides being (obviously) upset by losing my phone, I was mad because I didn't want the event to ruin the outlook I had on the last two weeks of my stay. Because, in honesty, when I was retracing my steps at the market trying to recognize vendors, I looked at everyone with contempt, and I didn't like that feeling. Ninety-eight percent of Tanzanians are incredibly kind and friendly, but it is a poor country and theft is common. Even if I had dropped my phone, there was no way someone would go out of their way to try to find and return it to the owner.
No one said going to Tanzania would be without its hardships. It definitely hasn't been the easiest thing I've done in my life, but for good or bad, this trip will always be with me.
Kwaheri!
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