A Small World

I flipped through the pages of my magazine as I waited at the gate of the London airport, and upon looking up, I see a flash of something that looks oddly familiar. I look up, forgetting the words on my page and I see this guy wearing a sweater with the letter M on one side of it. And as he turns, I see the letters M-I-T, and as I lift my face to see the wearer of this sweatshirt, I see the shock and surprise come over his face, as I too, am wearing my MIT sweatshirt. No, we weren’t wearing the same sweatshirt, but we were both showing our MIT pride, and it was awesome.

Apparently, B (my name for him so I don’t tell his whole life story) was finally returning home to Kenya after a year of high school in Cleveland…and he was going to be an MIT freshman next year. I was so excited for him, and he talked about his interests in Course 6 and 16 and soccer, just to name a few. We just chatted along, and it was great. It was just incredible because I made a new friend just because of a school sweatshirt. And wow, it made me realize what a small world it was. I must admit I was wondering in my head…what are the chances of a rising senior and rising freshman from two different continents running into each other on a different continent from their home country? With just 4000 students and the thousands of various times to travel, the probability must be incredibly low. It’s crazy!

So, yes, at the end the day, I’d made a new friend and I’d made it to Tanzania. It only took about 55 hours, but I made it. And now I’m home, staying at the Spiritan House. It is quite a lovely place as they’ve welcomed me as if I’ve been welcomed into a home. They have given me a bedroom with a chair, desk, bed, mosquito net, shower, western toilet, sink, closet, everything. But moreover, they have given me a home with an askari (a guard) and provided me with everything, including all meals, TV, and much to my disbelief, internet.

Though I am here far away, with the internet, the world remains small. I will remain connected to you all. I am safe and well-cared for, so there is nothing to worry about.

Tomorrow will be my first day of work, where we will be laying out the goal of the course. And it is hopefully then that I will also find a Swahili tutor, find a place to play pick-up soccer, and be on my way to have a fantastic summer. As usual, more to come soon!