(Dining at Costa Do Sol – Maputo)

So much has happened over the last few months. Unfortunately, I neither have the energy nor the desire to fully describe what has transpired. However, the process of updating my blog is somewhat cathartic – so I will briefly summarize the highlights.

(Craft Market in Maputo)

I attended a week-long project officer training in Maputo, Mozambique and instantly fell in love with the capital city. Situated along the coast on the Indian Ocean, Maputo has been heavily influenced by the Portuguese but with splashes of various different cultures, including Arab, Indian and Chinese. However, when walking around the city the aura is more reminiscent of Latin America than Africa.

(Mindy and Amy at Maceneta Beach)

I spent seven days feasting on fresh seafood, admiring the beautiful beaches, and relishing in the company of good friends. Mark and Mindy, two former colleagues from Malawi, have moved to the CDC office in Maputo – so it was lovely to see where they lived and to have a personal tour of the city. Mindy was kind enough to take me to Macaneta Beach – located approximately an hour or so from Maputo, including a short ferry trip across the Nkomati River.

(Friends of Mindy’s at Macaneta Beach)

After training, Mindy, Amy, her daughter and I drove to Swaziland where we attended the 3-day Bushfire Music Festival. The countryside from Maputo to Swaziland was gorgeous and I was quite impressed by the music festival itself – extremely organized and professional.

(Amy and Izzy)

There were some amazing acts, including the Soweto String Quartet (South Africa), Timbila Muzimba (from Mozambique), Tarika Be (from Madagascar) and Ladysmith Black Mambazo (also from South Africa – but I must admit, I didn’t see them on Sunday…my friend Cassandra drove up from Jo’burg on Saturday and we spent all day Sunday exploring some of the sites in Swaziland).

(Soweto String Quartet)

However, throughout all of these amazing experiences my thoughts centered on Andy, who has remained in the states for the past three months. Ultimately, Africa has taken its toll on our marriage – he refuses to return to Malawi and I refuse to remain in a marriage while he lives with someone else a continent away.

(Heidi, Ann, Clint and Cassandra at Bushfire Music Festival)

Of course, things are much more complicated – but the events have led me down an emotional rollercoaster, vacillating from anger and frustration to sorrow and finally acceptance. I am truly grieving the loss of my hopes and dreams of a life together with Andy. We took a chance when we married quickly, and I will always cherish the loving moments that we shared. But I also realize that if we‘d had more time to get to know one another, perhaps we would’ve realized that we were simply incompatible.

(Secrets)

I said good-bye to Andy in Atlanta a few days ago and am returning to Malawi tomorrow. I am actually looking forward to going ‘home’.

(Saying Good-bye…)

I need to be strong and to remember that this truly is for the best.

(Sami, Amy, Maia and Ben at Stone Mountain)

Much love,
Amy