What I Have Learned from a Year as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi

A few weeks ago we celebrated our one year anniversary of living in Malawi. Here are some of the things I have learned (or been reminded of) in the last year:

1. Electricity is overrated.
2. Water is undervalued and overused.
3. To appreciate all the work towards gender equality of the women before me. Yes, there is still a long way to go, but after living in a place where women are second class citizens, I am inspired and appreciative of their efforts, risks and sacrifices.
4. Even the deepest freeze in Minnesota could not prepare me for the hot season in Africa.
5. Although I have used the phrase, "I'm starving" countless times, I will never know what it really means.
6. I have been privileged to have a lot of good teachers in my life.
7. Always wash your hands.
8. Reading is almost always better than TV (Peace Corps Volunteers, An MTV Generation making up for lost time).
9. Transportation is easy in America, even with rising fuel prices.
10. Fresh and homemade is always better than processed.
11. Chocolate, ice cream, sushi and red wine are all worth missing, but not as much as friends and family.
12. My comforts are usually at somebody else's expense.
13. A lot of things can be eaten as food that we don't consider food in America.
14. Knowledge is power- it is meant to be shared.
15. Nothing beats real mail from home.
16. It is difficult to be the minority, even if it is the privileged minority.
17. HIV/AIDS. Not sure what to say about it, but I thought it should put it on the list. It is still too overwhelming to wrap my brain around.
18. Being able to wear jeans and a sweatshirt should not be taken for granted.
19. Breastfeeding is normal and should not have to be hidden.
20. Always wear sunscreen.
21. It really does make more sense to carry things on your head. It even has its own verb in Chichewa- kusenza.