We did a lot of reading and research to learn as much as we could about African and Rwandan culture and traditions in preparation for our move. We understand most of our friends and family have never (and may never) travel to this part of the world and what we say and share will become a knowledge base for a lot of people. Say "Africa," and for most, very specific yet very general ideas come to mind. In anticipation, we have had many dinner table conversations as a family about talking to other people about our plans and experiences. Africa is an entire CONTINENT with many different cultures, countries, governments, languages and people. And Rwanda is amongst the continent's smallest countries in a place most people were only awakened to because of its very recent, very disturbing history. But there is so much more to Africa and Rwanda that can, and should, be shared! Brandon, the kids and I have talked extensively about how we really want to share our authentic experiences and not perpetuate Western stereotypes or common misconceptions about Africa. But how?!
I've gone back and forth about sharing our unfiltered experiences publically for a few reasons. First, I want to keep a good journal of our time here so we can look back and remember and relive the incredible, life-changing experiences we will surely have. I want to record our life in real-time, but realize my personal biases - both conscious and unconscious - will play a role in how I see things both the first time I experience them, and also as I look back and process what we are going through. I fear sharing our experiences in a truthful, authentic way will reveal my ignorance, privilege, bias and misinformation, along with many other personal values. Being raw and unfiltered is at the heart of genuine authenticity. Ultimately, with Brandon's support and encouragement, I have decided to share (at least for now), our experiences in this very open, public forum.
Our family values and philosophies have evolved and expanded in large part because of the deliberate effort we have made to educate and expose ourselves and our kids to an expanded worldview. From the books we read, the movies we watch, the schools we choose, the places we visit, all the way down to the products we buy and the businesses, organizations, and people we support, we try to be intentional about the environment we are creating for ourselves and our children. Our ideas are always changing as our knowledge becomes deeper and more broad. We've tried to live with a sense of authenticity, which for us means living our lives according to our own needs and values, rather than the norms society, friends and even family expect of us. Sharing our plans to move to Africa has been met with the entire spectrum of responses and reactions. Only a handful of people have been privy to the struggles we've had during this process - emotionally, socially, spiritually, financially, professionally, logistically... This is more than just "an adventure" for us - it's our life and one we are committed to enriching in every way possible. Not everyone understands it, and that's ok. We hope our living - and sharing - with authenticity will bring respect from others and lead us to realize our own true potential, well-being and happiness. Thanks for your interest in tagging along!
