I’ve been living in Kigali, Rwanda since the end of July but haven’t really settled into a routine until now. When I first arrived I spent a month living with a friend at a school and was still finding my feet in the city. I was meeting lots of new people and I took a few trips away from the city as well. I was away for most of November and December and I’ve had a bunch of friends come and go as well in that time.
But now I’m living in a house that I love, in an area I really like, and I’ve got a great group of friends who are here for the long-ish term (at least in Kigali expat terms). I’ve joined the gym, I bought a bike, and I’m starting to realise that Kigali feels like home a lot more than anyplace I’ve been since I started travelling.
My weeks are slipping into predictable routines with Monday spent sipping mimosas in the sun in the backyard with a friend while attempting to learn French (Mimosa Monday), Tuesday is reserved for drinks with some friends at a local Italian restaurant with cheap wine (Boozeday Tuesday), Wednesdays are turning into a night where someone cooks a meal, Fridays are for dancing, and Sundays are for vegging out at a cafe all day. Plus there are a few weekends away in the works to various parts of Rwanda.
Normally this kind of predictability would terrify me but lately I’m loving it. The lack of updates on my blog could also be evidence that I seem to be slipping into a comfortable place where time sort of slips by without me noticing and suddenly I realise I haven’t written a post in ages. What’s happening to me!
I think one of the main reasons for me becoming so comfortable here is that it’s just such an easy place to live for an expat. I’m not going to say life is easy for many Rwandans by any stretch of the imagination but, for us intruding do-gooders and business people, things are great. The city is super safe, super clean and really beautiful. At least I think so but I have a thing for sunshine and rolling hills. There are a bunch of weekly events to get involved in, good restaurants, and lots of interesting people around. Kigali isn’t the most lively of towns so people are eager to do things during the week and make their own fun
I’m sure the friends I’ve made and the people I continue to meet here is the major thing that’s keeping me here. I’ve grown pretty tired of passing through places as a traveller – saying goodbye almost as quickly as I’ve said hello. I’m pretty much done with that, I think.
Walking around Kigali or zipping through the streets on a mototaxi just puts a smile on my face. I know what the next week will more or less have in store for me and I like that. I’m finding myself really enjoying the moment rather than looking or planning too far ahead. Plus I’m really loving working on this Kigali website (even if you have no interested in Kigali, have a read… there’s some pretty entertaining stuff in there) and feel like I want to get to know the city as well as I can to be able to provide a really great resource for people.
Are my backpacking days behind me finally? Will I end up staying here long term? I’m not really sure but I’m really enjoying this place at the moment and happy that the sun is shining and that it’s Mimosa Monday! I’m off to make a drink…
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