As blogland and Pinterest are bursting with the news of Autumn’s arrival, Dar es Salaam is beginning to see its first signs of Spring. There might not be any noticeable changes in outfits or weather, but if I look outside I can see my plumeria and African tulip trees are blooming again after a mostly-bare winter. I also had a few tasty mangoes lately, even though the best mangos won’t be here until the end of the season after the “Mango Rains” in October. When I arrived in Dar last December, Evita and I would eat a mango almost every day. But for the past few months there have been ZERO mangos. 🙁

 

Even though Autumn itself has never really meant anything to me (I’ve never lived in a place with an actual Autumn), seeing pictures of it makes me homesick. Maybe it’s because Autumn signals the impending holiday season. Maybe it’s because I know I won’t be spending it with family this year. I’ve missed Christmases here and there, but I’ve never missed two in a row.

 

Enough of the rambling, though. At least my Spring days will be looking a whole lot like this…