Kate Riley ‘16
Psychology, Neuroscience concentration
SIT Madagascar: Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management (spring 2015)
After a couple of weeks back at Colby, its starting to feel like I never left. Classes and commitments have picked up speed, and once again, I find myself caught up in the whirlwind of what comprises life at Colby. Before I continue, I must disclose that I love being busy. I’ve always jam-packed my schedule, running (often literally) from one thing to the next. I can only sit still for so long, and slow summers drive me stir-crazy.
In Madagascar, however, life was slowed down. The sense of time was different. My tendency to run late was an accepted part of the culture. We never really had a set schedule, and even when we did, there was no guarantee that we would not stray from it. Some days, our lunch break was 45 minutes while other days it was an hour and 45 minutes. After class (when we had class), there was nowhere I had to be. 
At first, adapting to the more laid-back lifestyle proved difficult. I itched to do more or to follow a schedule. Yet by the end of my time in Madagascar, no one needed to tell me “mora mora.” “Mora mora” is an expression in Malagasy that essentially means to “slow down” or “chill.” I enjoyed sitting by the ocean for hours with nowhere to be. I stopped worrying when someone told me we’d meet at 2:00 on Tuesday if we’d actually meet at 3:00 or 4:00 or on Wednesday. I grew to love the “mora mora” lifestyle.
But now I’m back at Colby. If I have a meeting at 2:00, I have to be there at 2:00. I can’t waste time just sitting in the arboretum for hours looking at the trees. Or can I? I jumped back into a chaotic schedule as soon as I arrived on campus, but now I’m wondering if I did so too quickly. In Madagascar, watching the waves was “enjoying” life, but here its “wasting” time. Today my heart was aching for a swim in the Indian Ocean and to share laughs and coconuts on the beach. “Mora mora” means one thing in Madagascar, but maybe I’ll figure out how to be a little more “mora mora” at Colby.
Bus rides were many, many hours long, but they took us to beautiful places like this beach.
