My dear travel enthusiasts, let me begin by bursting your bubble: this is not a travel blog with tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your experience in Rwanda. The exchange story doesn’t help either because I was mostly at the project and explored very little. Point in case: I only visited the genocide memorial this year and never got a chance to do so in 2019.
I thought of this blog title whilst at minute 8 of sending my thousandth podcast(this is what we call the long audios we send to one another- one of us more often than the other, but we are not here to point fingers, so let’s carry on) of the day to Sarah. A lot of times during my trip to Rwanda in January, I thought a lot of how much that simple decision to save up and use the little money I had to go for exchange changed the entire trajectory of my life and was just in awe of younger Felistus for setting the foundation for the amazing experiences I have had to date. So this article is to celebrate her, honor her, and give her a sneak peek into how life turned out.
So let’s have a go at a few things I would tell my 20-year-old self:
I know- It sucks that you barely have enough to sustain yourself for exchange let alone explore with the other EPs, but that you are here makes the whole difference.
Be present, my love. Stop thinking of what could go wrong. Baby girl, what if it all goes right?
At some point in your university life, you will pivot to coding, and working at Microsoft will be your prayer, vision, mission, and reason to live. You get to work there part-time, though, and the pay and connections are amazing, to say the least. Your career trajectory will take a very interesting turn. One simple decision to apply for MCVP TM and OD( for non-AIESECers this is the country director for human resources and organizational development) will catapult you into a whole new field and country!
- You know Gleris and June from class- yeap, those homegirls will become your favorite people on earth, and they will hold you down. Seems unlikely now, but trust me. I’m the one from the future, no? With friendships, and I will hold your hand as I tell you this, a lot will change; and that’s not a bad thing
- COVID-19 is about to lock down the entire world for close to a year. My advice, stay back longer in school and hang out with that amazing young man you’re dating- you’re gonna be home long enough. And when you get home, the strategy is simple: for the first three months, do nothing but be a couch potato, watch movies, and hang with Nalah all day long. Speaking of Nalah- keep an eye on homegirl. Terrible 2’s almost drives both of you crazy. (Speaking of nieces, you have 2 nieces and one nephew now; we’re an aunt-aunt)
Give yourself some grace, my love. You start working out in 2020. Did I mention how proud I am of you for doing that? It sets a great foundation for the active lifestyle we lead now- yeap, we do yoga and we mastered the wheel pose(I know you don’t know what that is, google it 😂)
Calculus 4 will almost give you a run for your life, baby girl. Don’t worry, you won’t get a supplementary. You will, however get a C. I know- the audacity of our brain cells. The point is, you’ll land on your feet.
- The burning desire you feel inside post-exchange to travel more, do more… treasure it my love. Because that fire will push you to start academic writing, find paying internships, afford to attend Score conference, save enough to take a 7-day road trip to Namibia by yourself to mark finishing school, and ultimately to travel alone every once a year(or thrice in 2024😂). We don’t get the passport as soon as we anticipated bestie, but trust me, once we get it, we use it to see this beautiful magical world we live in.
I have so much to say to you, younger Felistus. But I will say thank you. That 10,000 of approval fee you saved this year, all the convincing you had to do with your parents and family to get the required amount to make this trip, it produces the most blissful chain reaction. I have a lot to say, but all I will say for now is I am in awe of all that you are❤️