16 & Living life

           It’s always hard to respond when people ask me where I'm from. Its even harder when someone asks “so what’s your story?” because I’m not sure if they really are interested and want to hear it or its like when your parents ask you how your day was and you say good and the conversation topic changes. You see, I have a couple of places I call home, but for starters, I was born in Toronto Ontario Canada July 5^th, 1996. The first time I went to Africa I was 8 years old (turned 9 in Africa-first birthday of many in Africa). My parents felt we were supposed to move to Atlanta Georgia when I was 9 almost 10.  People don’t generally remember too much from when they are little, but I will never forget my parents telling Spencer and I that we were moving to America. We were sitting down in a restaurant, hearing a couple of bribes (my parents were marketers.. ), and hearing that Josianne, our Nanny and my best friend wouldn’t be coming. I have no recollection of packing the house or even moving, but I won’t ever forget about that conversation, after all it was kind of a life-changing event. We lived in Georgia until right before I turned 16. While in Georgia I went to a private school called King’s Ridge Christian School until 8^th grade doing things from soccer (or “football” as they say here), and competition cheerleading to Student Council. Between 8^th grade and 9^th grade is when my parents mentioned we were moving to Africa. That sit down talk was much more recent, so I remember it quite well. It had been a pretty great day, we were at Costco and we decided to grab some lunch while we were there. Then my mom randomly says, “So Chloe, what would you think about moving to, oh I don’t know, maybe Swaziland?” Yet again with the bribes, from puppies to a car etc. (still working on that so called “car” …) When my family moves, we move countries and continents. If you’re going to move, make it big, right?  By this point I had changed schools and gone over to Milton High School for freshman year (9^th grade-Form 3) where I participated in the Cirque program.

Before I knew it, the year had flown by and we, the Maxwell family, were actually moving to Africa. After saying goodbye to friends at the airport it was only a 15-hour flight and a 5-hour drive to our new home. By this point I had spent every June-August in Africa (ranging from Swaziland, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Zimbabwe, etc.) since I was 8 (that’s 8 summers. -winters in Africa though). That’s a lot of Africa… and now we were moving there?  We’ve now lived here in Swaziland for 5 days less than 5 months, and that’s where I am on my journey.

          My grandpa asked me to write a blog about my different experiences or views on living in such completely different cultures: Canada, America & Africa.  I don’t remember much about Canada, but where I lived everything was really close. Spencer, Alexis, Sydney and I would ride our bikes into the “town” area all the time because it was so close. I went to a small private school called NDCA and that was all I knew. My world was small, but I guess the world isn’t that big for any little kid. Our move to Georgia opened my eyes hugely that there was a bigger world out there. Living in the “good ol’ southern hospitality” was an experience in itself, but an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything. That’s were I met my best friend Jordan Keim who has been my bestfriend for almost 6 years now, where I learned you can fry anything, and just where I lived a big portion of my life, so far. Moving to Africa has definitely been an adventure. My perspective has changed yet again, due to living in such a drastically different environment, but im pretty good with change now.

           From a small world of snow, to a bigger world with southern accents, to finally a 3^rd world (and my 3^rd world) country, my thoughts and perspective on things may differ from those of others. I now go to Waterford Kamhlaba International School which is apart of the United World Colleges (UWC), that is full of kids just like me. The conversations between people are pretty interesting and just different. Everyone that goes to my school, Waterford, has different view on the world,  and people want to hear each other’s perspectives so that they can understand just a little bit more about the world, or at least based on these people. Meeting someone from lets say Uganda and hearing there story about moving from place to place to place, the people they met, the experiences they had, etc. is just really cool.  And now I get the chance to tell a story of my own that’s just as unique as everyone else’s story here. My life has been kind of crazy, but as of yet, I wouldn’t change it if I could. 

          

            

This is real.

    This may have been the hardest week of my life, so far. How do I write about an emotion? No not one, but about a million. If I know that we are supposed to be here in Swaziland, why do I not want to be here? Life back in Georgia was so so so much easier. My small group leader (Alyse Jeffery) was one phone call away along with my small group. My friends were down the street or a couple miles away. School was closer and simpler. Internet was constant and fast. The food was what we were used to. Etc. I knew moving would be hard, and I knew I would have weeks where I missed all of this more than anything I've ever missed, but then you add on the other stuff…

    My Uncle Paul passed away this week, Thursday night. The Bannons live back at home home in Canada, Auntie Kim & cousins Jeremy, Matt, and Joanna. I can’t begin to imagine what they are going through right now. To think that they were supposed to be here last week, but then this malignant tumor came and now Uncle Paul is gone… my heart breaks for my cousins.

    When it comes to school, there is only a week and a half left of school until the August break. That means only 26 days until I get to go and visit home. Though school here is very “different,” if I hadn’t of come I wouldn’t of met all of the incredible people that I have met.

    Where is the balance…? I feel like the high days are the highest they’ve ever been (though there are not many of them) and the low days are so unbelievably low. God? Where are you? I knew moving and being here, life would be like this and I kept saying I wanted to see God and be “tested”… that was literally one of the most retarded things I’ve ever said… because he IS testing now.

    My life is literally a rollercoaster right now.. and I know I said I was ready for this, but man, this is hard. A friend of mine, who has been being “tested” from the day she accepted Christ into her life, told me once that she would rather be tested every day then have an easy going life of not being tested because she wants to fight for her Jesus, just as he fought for her. I need to get with the program because this is not going to get any easier any time soon.

     I know this blog post is kind of all over the map, but as I said, I'm trying to put something into words that isn’t normally put into words. Yes, this is getting harder, but I want/need to keep fighting every day. We are here, we did move to Africa, and we will keep fighting day by day. This is real. 

Looking Out a New Window

As I look out my window on the school bus, I'm seeing something new. At home in Georgia its just looking, but here you’re seeing. Back in Georgia you look out and see big houses, every bush is sculpted, beautiful flowers, the sun is up before you even get out of bed, etc. How could anyone say that is not beautiful?

Looking out my window here is a little different. In the morning I leave and the stars are still out.  I get to see the start to a new day, everyday, seeing the beautiful sunrise over the hills. It looks like a painting or something you’d see in a movie. As we keep driving I start to see all of the people walking to work. Some with water on their heads and others just walking. The best is when you see the Gogos (grandmothers) singing, just singing as they’re walking. Singing because it is a new day and they are grateful.

Next you hit the highway and start to see the kids that are walking to school, ranging from pre-school students to high school students. Imagine. Walking on the side of the highway to get to school from when you’re 4 or 5 until you’re done with high school. How am I complaining about my hour and a half car ride to school…? *Guilty thoughts…*

Finally as I’m approaching the hill that my school is on, we turn off of the highway. To get to my school you must drive through somewhat of a little community. I'm now seeing homes made of mud with clotheslines and hanging laundry, kids in uniforms walking to the public school that is placed at the bottom of the hill, skinny dogs roaming, a couple of cows here and there, etc. The women are looking at me through the window as I look back at them, subtly smiling back and forth at each other. I've heard people say they see “hope in the eyes of a child.,” but around here you see hope in everyone’s eyes. Truly.  I've reached my destination.

What a great way to start every day, right? Someone asked me the other day if I liked what I saw out my window better here or at home in Georgia. After thinking about it, of course my response was, I love this view so much more. This is real, not some Utopia, and it reminds me every day how blessed I am. How is that I've been coming here, to Swaziland, for the past 8 years and I'm just now seeing this new perspective on life? His creation is beautiful. 

Where do I even begin???

Where do I even begin? It’s been three days since I last blogged, and it’s insane how much has happened since then. Well, I guess I'll just go day by day starting on Wednesday, my first day of school. 



Wednesday: 


Well, I woke up at 5:00 AM, and even though it was crazy early I did have that little bit of what ever feeling its called on the first day of school. I'm pretty sure it’s a universal feeling of a little bit of depression that you seriously have to go back to school, a couple of nerves, but definitely that “excited-sh” feeling of seeing friends, new teachers, etc etc etc. Anyway, of course we leave pretty much on time (6:15), because we Maxwells are planners/like to be on time. So mom and I pull out of The Lodge and are on our way down the mountain when we run into Spencer over by the baby home with the Condor (a car) that’s at the bottom of the little dip and has stalled or something (dead battery, needs to be pushed to start, which is impossible when you are facing up hill)... to sum it up,  10-20 minutes later we finally can get by him (Dad to the rescue on his ATV) and are back on our way to school. Then of course a little later we get a stuck behind the orange pickers “train” (tractor pulling huge orange crates with workers stuffed in the back) ... but anyway we were back on our way, picked up Bailey Klee and were good to go. Interesting way to start the first day of school, but we made it to the school on time, and I got my schedule and locker etc. 



The first day was kind of insane. I met about 1,000 new faces who all knew me, but I had yet to meet them.  We went from a general assembly to English, Physics, tutor period (which is like an advisement), compute science, and math. I ended at 1:00 PM because it was a half day (all Wednesdays are).  Overall, it was a pretty good day, but I felt like a kid at Disney world. The first time you ever walk into one of the parks your just mind blown. You don’t really know what to think or where to go or anything, and of course you don’t know anyone in the parks there either, just like my school. I knew it would quickly change and I’d make friends, understand my thick thick teachers accents, grow to understand the slang (like “sketchy in America would be “dodgy” here), etc. But it was just very different.

 

Other than the school part, we DID rescue our first baby!! (: His name is Spamandla (probably spelling that wrong), and he is theeee cutest little baby. Little did we know that we had also received a baby at PC (Project Canaan) as well! Two babies in one day. It was a good day. (:



Thursday:


Now this was a long day. Woke up at 5:00 again, school started at 8:00 and ended at 4:00. Here the classes are 40 minutes and there are 11 periods a day, but you have “doubles” through out the day which is when a class had double the time it normally is (so 80 minutes instead of 40). So my schedule was: Double math, English, French, double chemistry, lunch, business, biology, & double art. Everyone says Thursdays are the longest/hardest days.. lol woooo. So that wasn’t too bad, just a long day, but it was nice because I had made some friends and new a couple more names (some of which of which I can actually pronounce). When I got home the container with all our stuff from home had arrived!!! The house was well on it’s way and I got to set up my bed (: you have no idea how exciting that was. Sleeping in my bed for the first time since the beginning of April. So. Great. Also it was Spencer’s 18^th birthday! So it was a pretty good day (: 



Friday:

You know it’s funny, normally when I'm in Africa for the summer I totally lose track of time and days, but being in school I sure knew it was Friday and was so happy the weekend was right around the corner. After my alarm clock didn’t go off, we run out the door, sped down the mountain roads on to the highway and just made it to the bus on time (7:00).  By now I had a pretty okay idea of how to get to some of my classes, and I new some people from some different groups. My day included: double Biology, double French, life skills, English, math, lunch, a double Free (so 80 minutes of break or study hall – its great) where I learned chemistry because last period of the day I had a chemistry test that my teacher was making me take. Haha. 2 hours from lunch and break to learn chemistry, yep.  (: By the time I got home I was ready to crash.



It’s been a pretty long week, but we got through. My life kind of feels like it’s on the edge and I'm missing my friends more than anything, but I know it’s gonna get easier. Going to a new school is always a challenge and is always different, so why shouldn’t this one be. It’s going to take some getting used to. 



Today being Saturday AND I have internettttttt! A lazy day, maybe a ride on the 4wheeler (ATV)  with Bailey and Spencer to the top of the mountain (where the waterfall is), and of course, a play date with the babies. (:

                                                                  

 



I'll keep updating! Prayers would be greatly appreciated. <3 

yep. we're here

We did it. My family MOVED to Africa. 365 days of preparing, packing, shipping, stress, up and downs, and we’re finally here in Swaziland for good. The rest of my posts from here on out will be about the “up and downs” of that roller coaster I'm sure, so get ready.

So we arrived in Johannesburg on June 1^st (Friday) after a 15 hours plane ride and spent the night there. The next day we took a 5 hour car ride over the boarder and into Swaziland (where we now live). Why I expected to be sleeping in my home that night, I don’t know. We spent the night at the Lodge, otherwise known at the long term volunteer home, Saturday night as well as Sunday night and we’ll probably be there for a couple more nights or weeks. You see, our house isn’t quiet finished yet. 3^rd world time is a couple months slower than 1^st world time.

Yes, it’s kinda of a bummer we’re not in our “home,” BUT at the same time were finally here. We do have a place to stay, food, and a warm bed, so there’s no need to complain. And we can go to the Klee’s house for hot showers and Internet of course!

School. I start school on Wednesday. Today is Monday. I'm not gonna lie… I'm not looking forward to getting up at 5:30 a.m. to go to a new school half way through their school year and half way into 10^th grade (form 4). Summer break started on May 18^th and was supposed to go until August 15^th, but it got cut a little short. On the other hand, I only have to do half a year of sophomore year and will be a junior by Christmas. Definitely worth it. (:

The First team traveling here doesn’t come for a week or so, so it’ll be good to be all settled in and into school and what not. The next time I post I'll tell all about Waterford (my school) and any new news.

Like a.. roller coaster?

I. Love. Roller coasters. The whole idea of getting to a theme park nice and early and waiting in a long line for that one ride that you’ve heard is literally THE best ride in the park. Hearing stories of how fast and scary it is, just waiting in anticipation until you’re at the front of the line and are about to get on all while freaking out. You finally get on, are all buckled up, and as the ride starts to “tick-tick-tick-tick-tick” up an extremely steep hill you look side to side and think to yourself, “I'm literally about to die and these people next to me are the last people I’m ever going to see…o.m.g.,” but none of that comes out of your mouth because your just freaking out as you get closer and closer to the top, until finally your somewhat parallel to the ground again and you know the drop is about to come. Although you’re completely terrified you remember you chose to get on the ride in the first place because you heard how much fun and awesome it was and you couldn’t back out now obviously. Finally you drop over the side of the roller coaster and go through a million twists and turns for about 30 seconds, but when you get off the ride you have a sense of accomplishment that you actually did it and Lived!!! (: You get to go and get hugs from your friends while they all say, “I told you it was awesome!!!,” and you're so glad you rode it because if you hadn’t of, man, you would have regretted it.

You’re probably reading this and thinking, “Chloe… what does this have to do with anything? I understand how a roller coaster works… what?”  The reason I wrote about this is because it seemed like the perfect way to describe this move. My family has been waiting 365 days to move to Africa and were almost at the top of the roller coaster, holding on for dear life yet so unbelievable excited. The actual ride of the roller coaster is so much fun and that’s the “easier” part, but were not quite there yet. Of coarse there are going to be lots of ups, downs, twists, and turns, but its all part of the ride, right? It’s all part of the ride/journey that you chose to go on/take. This adventure that I’m about to go on is going to be one for the books, that’s for sure, but I've been waiting in anticipation for 358 days and I'm ready for the drop! This is going to be one of THE coolest experiences of my life and I seriously can not wait. Let go alreadyyyyyyy!!!

Only 16 days??

Wow. We're seriously moving in 16 days. Last time I posted or "blogged" (my first post) we were 137 days out, but now just 16. Its crazy how time flies.(I apologize that I haven't blogged in a while, but I didn't feel I had anything important to say.) 

Anyways, I guess I need to back track a little bit. First off, it is the LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL!!! Summer is just around the corner (along with the move) and I gotta say, i'm pumped. Yes, i'm going to miss Milton High School and everyone in it, Cirque, etc., but everyone is ready for summer when it comes around. These next 2 weeks are going to be great. They're filled with celebration for Spencer's graduation/18th birthday and my sweet 16 with our friends and family. I'm so glad were gonna have a great coupe weeks because the move IS coming up. 

So last time I wrote I talked about how I felt about the move and My perspective, but over the past couple of months it has changed a little bit. Before I wasn't "excited" about moving, but now i'm proud to say I really am excited. First off, I have 3 little brothers and 2 little sisters I get to meet when I get there and I seriously can't wait. (: Im also really looking forward to my new school, Waterford, which i'll be attending starting June 6th. Its year around schooling (January-December) so i'll be jumping half way into 10th grade (other wise known at "form 4" there I believe). I get the months of April, August, & December off, so I guess thats cool. Oh, and Wednesdays are half days so thats awesome. I've started talking to some of the students that go there through Facebook and they seem really cool. 

Next, I'm excited for the 4 wheelers, our house, the water fall, getting PUPPIES, my pet ostrich, being able to play with the babies, playing guitar out on the patio, staying in a house instead of a hotel room for a whole summer, meeting new people etc etc etc. It's gonna be amazing. I've kind of readjusted to this whole move. Going all in and not against it (not that I was against it before) is making it just seem so much better and is making everyone at peace with it. 

We moved here to Atlanta Georgia 5 1/2 years ago and i've made so many great memories & incredible friends that I hope to stay friends with for a long time, but i'm ready for a change. Moving WITH my parents isn't too "hard" because I don't necessarily have a choice, but if I were in their position of having a choice, I gotta say it would haveI been a whole lot harder. I'm so proud of them for actually stepping up and following what God has asked them to do with their lives because if they hadn't of been obedient little Joshua and the gang might not of been alive today, many people's lives wouldn't have been changed, and I wouldn't have been the person I am today. I hope that one day i'll shine even a flicker of the light they do every day, and that I have the strength and courage to do what God asks of me. 

Even though at this moment everything is going pretty well, I know it's going to get harder so prayers would be awesome. I am so ready to move. 16 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

137 days...

As many people know, my family is moving to Africa this year in May. People ask me questions daily ranging from, "How do you feel about the move?"  to "Where will you be going to school?" to just straight up, "Why?"  This blog is kinda gonna be a place where I can answer those questions and also just say day to day how I'm feeling about the move. Things I'm excited for and things I'm nervous about. 

When my parents told me that we were moving to Africa it didn't seem that bad. I was actually pretty cool with it, and then they said it was going to be in a YEAR. Wait a second... so I'll be moving to Africa for my sophomore, junior, AND senior year of high school? The years that you're a teenager and are some pretty memorable years? I was okay with it, but it seemed pretty far away, so I kinda put it out of my mind for a little while.  

After that conversation it felt like every time I would think about absolutely anything, it seemed related to moving to Africa.  For example, did they have "prom" in Africa? Thinking about prom led me to, where would I be going to high school??? Would I be home schooled? I was starting to get a little freaked out. What teenager wouldn't be a little freaked out? All of your friends say, "Wow! You're so lucky! I wish I could move to Africa!" I would say that too if one of my friends was moving somewhere cool, but then it's me whose the one moving, and it doesn't seem as cool as it seemed when it was someone else. Of course I knew it was going to be an amazing experience, and that I’d look back on it and think it was incredible, but at the time all I was thinking about was my friends, theatre, school, prom, my cell phone, and my straightener, priorities.  

The end of 8th grade is when my parents told me about the move, and that summer I was going on a church retreat called, "The Walk" with North Point. Leading up to "The Walk" I had really been praying the God would tell ME that we were supposed to move, just confirm it. What if my parents had heard wrong and they were actually supposed to wait until I got out of high school??? Or, what if they were supposed to move and I was supposed to stay in Georgia? I was waiting for God to tell me personally, not just tell my parents. Well, I got what I asked for, confirmation. It was the last day of the retreat (The Walk) and we were in morning session. Truthfully, I don't even remember what the speaker was saying, but I felt like he was talking straight to me. No, it wasn't even really him talking straight to me, I felt like God was talking straight to me, but through this speaker. I realized that there was more to life then just my little "1st world problems." I was being selfish. I knew in that moment that we were supposed to move, and I was at peace with it.  That was the first time I've ever felt like God was talking to me, and it was pretty cool. 

It's been 7 months since I heard that now and I'll admit, I still have those bad days where I go back into the "1st world problems" of what about my friends, cell phone and straightener, but I have to remind myself that He has it all under control.  (:  He knows what I think are some "priorities," and has been so amazing with giving me little, what I like to call, "God Kisses." 

He provided me with a friend, Bailey Klee, who will be moving with us and going to school with me, a cell phone that will actually work in Swaziland, AND a straightener that had duel voltage (so it'll work in Africa.)  He's got it all under control. 137 days to go, and I’m ready.