Spending the best day of the year with the people I love: Halloween at Kande

The night before the weekend of Halloween I decided that it might be a good idea to not stay in village and go and spend my favorite day of the year with other PCV’s. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to leave my community because I really do enjoy being in my village and probably could have gotten some things done, but lucky for me I have some pretty convincing friends, and had the realization that seeing them was probably exactly what I actually needed. The plan was to camp in Nkhata Bay district at a beach known as Kande. Sooooo, on Thursday, as the sun was going down, I headed to my market with no ideas and a completely open mind in search of something I could dress up as for Halloween. What I fell upon in the market turned into what I’d like to call “a mermaid gone wrong.” Some called me a seaweed monster, others kinda sorta knew I was a mermaid, but either way, at least I had a costume. Now one should know that this is not how Halloween normally goes for me in the United States. Usually I’m thinking about my costume for next year on November 1st, the day after Halloween. Dressing up and having an awesome costumes is something I do not take lightly. But this year, in Malawi, it didn’t really matter what our costumes were, it was more about spending the holiday with our friends.

On Friday morning I found a hitch north and made the journey to Kande Beach. The view here was beautiful. A sandy beach with a volleyball court, an island just off in the distance, and the sight of good company. We spent the weekend swimming, chatting, dressing up, playing volleyball, reading, eating good food (we made tacos!!), playing games, and dancing. And the weekend was no less than amazing; mainly because I was with people I love.

With this experience and one thing I’ve realized from living in Malawi is that spending these special days, that are so far from the cultural norms here, are best when you do them with your friends. Being in the village during days that you normally spend out with friends or family in the United States can be really hard. When you’re in the village and no one really understands what you are talking about, and because of this can’t appreciate what maybe you call “your favorite day of the year” there is a feeling of being alone, even maybe when you are not.

However, if you do decide that staying at site is the best for you during these days, there can be the beautifulness of cultural exchange as well. I told some of my Malawian friends what I was buying the clothes I purchased at the market for, and why I needed to borrow an old fishing net, because I wanted to explain about the traditions of Halloween. Some understood because they have seen American movies, but the majority just laughed and I’m sure just thought “Keeeety is being her crazy-white-person-self yet again.” But ya know, I tried….and that’s all you can really do.

Making the decision to leave my village and go spend time with friends is always something I struggle with. There is a sense of guilt that maybe I could be getting things done and trying to make change instead of spending time swimming and eating on a far away beach with friends. However, it is so important to know that most of us as volunteers, who spend the majority of our time in the village, need this time to get away, recharge, and be with friends. It’s something that I am continually working on, and to accept, knowing that I need this time to stay happy and healthy in Malawi. Realizing that you can’t do it all, and you are giving your best, and that it’s not you that is going to change the world has been a very humbling “ahhh-ha” moment for me many times while being in Malawi. And when I do leave my village, and have conversations with others going through similar experiences it is then that I am reminded of these things. I’m so blessed to have friends that feel like family here in Malawi and be able to have a Halloween that I wouldn’t trade in for the world. So with that being said, and with thanks given, I have put some pictures below of Kande Beach and the beautiful humans I was able to spend Halloween with. Happy Best Day of the Year People, I hope your Halloween was as splendid as my own.

#peacecorps