Wadana Kakakhel, Grade 12
UWCEA Moshi
The sky was tinted a soft pink with undertones of a fiery yellow blazing underneath. The sound of crickets chirping rang in the air. I ran to the field barefoot with my friend, our obsession with sunsets motivating us every step of the way. The pitch is one of my top five go-to places on campus. From waking up at sunrise to catch Kilimanjaro with a pink background or going there nearly every evening to watch the sunset, it has been a faithful companion throughout the year. I still remember the first time I was there when the sky was clear at night, and how the stars seemed so much brighter than back home. At that moment, I fell in love with Tanzania.
From going there with a large number of people and spending hours laying on the grass talking about nothing at all and everything at once, to making it my reading spot and a place to journal quietly and spend time by myself, every inch of it feels like home. I make my way past the water fountain and walk on the grass towards the spot where Kilimanjaro can be seen from best as the sky slowly turns from blue to a faded orange hue. In this place I have had countless existential crises, conversations with loved ones, dancing sessions when life feels too suffocating and other moments where just sitting there helps clear my mind.
At 6am, the field is empty. Come by after school and it’s hard to find a single place that isn’t occupied. The frenzy of games going on fills the air and the silence of the morning is nowhere to be found. By 6pm, everyone has gone for dinner. About 20 minutes before dinner I walk to the bench in between the two fields and read a few pages of a book or write in my journal. Some days as I walk towards the other side I see people going back to the dorms to change and for a few moments I get some alone time at the same as well. After dinner is the pinnacle of perfection. While walking out of the dining hall the colors in the sky shift colors and it feels nothing short of magical.
Within the next 20 minutes, the sky turns dark and if it’s your lucky day, it isn’t cloudy. The stars come out of their shelter in the night sky as your eyes adjust to the darkness and when the moon is full it illuminates the grass. Some nights I go to the basketball court beside the field and dance under the moon till my heart's content. These little pockets of time on this side of campus allows me to take a step back from the hustle of the IB and being surrounded by people in residential life. It gives me time to reflect and reconnect with myself and see beauty in the nature around me, letting me be more peaceful and intentional in my interactions with others.
When looking back on life at UWC, so much has changed since the first few weeks, but the feeling I get when the sky is a pretty shade of pink will always stay the same.
From going there with a large number of people and spending hours laying on the grass talking about nothing at all and everything at once, to making it my reading spot and a place to journal quietly and spend time by myself, every inch of it feels like home. I make my way past the water fountain and walk on the grass towards the spot where Kilimanjaro can be seen from best as the sky slowly turns from blue to a faded orange hue. In this place I have had countless existential crises, conversations with loved ones, dancing sessions when life feels too suffocating and other moments where just sitting there helps clear my mind.
At 6am, the field is empty. Come by after school and it’s hard to find a single place that isn’t occupied. The frenzy of games going on fills the air and the silence of the morning is nowhere to be found. By 6pm, everyone has gone for dinner. About 20 minutes before dinner I walk to the bench in between the two fields and read a few pages of a book or write in my journal. Some days as I walk towards the other side I see people going back to the dorms to change and for a few moments I get some alone time at the same as well. After dinner is the pinnacle of perfection. While walking out of the dining hall the colors in the sky shift colors and it feels nothing short of magical.
Within the next 20 minutes, the sky turns dark and if it’s your lucky day, it isn’t cloudy. The stars come out of their shelter in the night sky as your eyes adjust to the darkness and when the moon is full it illuminates the grass. Some nights I go to the basketball court beside the field and dance under the moon till my heart's content. These little pockets of time on this side of campus allows me to take a step back from the hustle of the IB and being surrounded by people in residential life. It gives me time to reflect and reconnect with myself and see beauty in the nature around me, letting me be more peaceful and intentional in my interactions with others.
When looking back on life at UWC, so much has changed since the first few weeks, but the feeling I get when the sky is a pretty shade of pink will always stay the same.
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