To the Ocean :)

The smell of fresh salty air as it blows off the Ocean, how the salt feels on your skin and in your hair as you dry of in the humid weather, floating with the tide, letting your feet slowly become submerged in the sand at the edge of the shore-- I argue that these are things that make anyone who grew up by the ocean feel at home. 

I grew up on the Atlantic Ocean, with a grandmother who would swim with a “jellyfish-stick” to make sure that I had a clear swimming path, my cousins, my brother and I would later dry the same Jellyfish out a low-tide, build sandcastles to see who’s would best endure the advancing tide and play golf on the sand dunes with our dad. Living in a mountain city in East Africa I have never missed the ocean more and thus, it was the promise of spending a few days floating in salty water which solidified for me that I must visit Tanzania. So while I find myself a world away from the Nova Scotian shores of Brule beach, I was fortunate enough to find my sense of serenity and childhood joy in the salty waters of the Indian Ocean.

My first glimpse of Dar's Shoreline :) 

I am somewhat of an anomaly, a maritimer who doesn’t like seafood to the extent that I would bypass that section of the grocery store as a child to avoid the smell, yet the smell of drying fish wafting through the air in Zanzibar, mixed with the contagiously charismatic energy of the people almost instantly reminded me of Ghana. It still astounds me how quickly a smell, or a sound can take you to another time and place.

"Hakuna Matata" Boats docked in Stonetown, Zanzibar

For me, one of the things I always find interesting in traveling is to see the commonalities but also the differences in a new place and what I consider home. So while Tanzania/ Zanzibar is on the ocean and Tanzanian’s incredible hospitality quickly made me feel at ease and think of Nova Scotia, there were obviously plenty of difference. For one, it is a tropical climate not to mention that the national language is Swahili. And yes Hakuna Matata ACTUALLY means no worries, and Tanzanians use it often, as they are incredibly laid back. And although I am proud of the place I call home, the color of the water around the coral reef in Zanzibar is like nothing I have ever seen. I can only compare the pure turquoise, which is simultaneously clear enough to see meters and meters down into its depths, to that vibrant color you get when you first mix food coloring into white icing. In addition to the physical differences, Tanzania has an incredibly rich history, which I hope to learn more about in the coming weeks. There was a great Arab influence, which can be attributed to the Zanzibars’s current Muslim majority amongst other things. As well there is a large Indian population who have called Dar es Salaam home for many generations now. And while I have been writing about “Tanzania” as one, because technically it is now one country, it was only in 1964 that Tanganyika–the former German Colony turned British Mandate—joined with Zanzibar to form Tanzania.   

It's official- I need a hammock! 

I am incredibly thankful that the Coady grants its interns 5 days of vacation time. I am grateful for the opportunity to see more, but also to take a step back – while lying in a sweet hammock—and realize how fortunate I am to have such experiences. The laughter and shared stories with new friends make the world seem so much smaller and spark a desire in me to continue seeing and learning more.

Someone once said to me “the trouble is, the more you see, the more you will want to see” and while it seems obvious, it couldn’t ring more true to me. There is so much world out there, and the neat thing about traveling is that it brings to life realities that previously I had only read about or imagined. I feel it is also one of the most powerful ways to break down stereotypes, and the “othering” of societies different from your own. It provides the opportunity to see that people are more than just an all-encompassing title—I am not JUST Canadian. Everywhere around the world people have hopes and fears, their favorite spots to hang out with friends and family, things they do to make them happy, things they do to try and relax, things that make them stress— I acknowledge that some of us are blessed to have less stress and worries than many others, yet my goal remains to see as many places as possible from the perspective of those who live there and have “their spots”. So to all of you out there who have helped me to do this so far Muchas Gracias!! And know that if you ever come to the Maritimes, mi casa es su casa! Let the adventures continue :) 

Sunset in Zanzibar

As always please feel free to get in touch with your comments or questions at: steph.milo.mackinnon@gmail.com

Steph xx