Rain, Rain...Don't Go Away

​It’s about 3 in the morning here. I just woke up to the sound of what I thought was continuous thunder.


Then I slowly realized it wasn’t thunder. 


It was just the pounding rain.


When we initially arrived here, I noticed the deep drainage ditches, gutters, and pipe systems throughout the city. It seemed apparent that Rwanda is no stranger to rain, particularly large storms. However, it was completely shocking to me to experience such a heavy downpour. I’m used to hearing storms through the thick, waterproof walls of my house in Buffalo - this was a complete downpour happening basically two feet away from my head, through a wide-open window, with water so thick I couldn’t see more than a foot away!!

It puts you in your place. Similar to when I visited Vancouver and felt dwarfed by mountains, I felt incredibly small next to the pounding rain outside. I felt at the mercy of nature.

And then it went away, as suddenly as it had arrived. I felt alive, smelling the refreshing cool air as the water was absorbed by the earth.

I miss the rain now. I kind of want it back.