Ted is the type of guy that if you meet once or twice and casually say, “If you are ever in Tanzania, give me call,” he will actually do so. Matt Brown is a former Boulderite that works for The Nature Conservancy in Arusha, Tanzania. Ted had connected with Matt in Boulder at one point through a mutual work colleague/friend, and Matt had invited Ted to look him up on our trip when we were in Tanzania. And we did.
Since January 2009, Matt has lived in Tanzania with his wife Lisa and 3 beautiful children. They graciously welcomed us into their home and along on a family camping trip with some other friends for the weekend. We had a wonderful time getting to know them and hearing about the challenges and rewards of living and raising children on the other side of the world. They have a beautiful home, a great international school down the road from their house, and a community of friends and other expats.
The camping was a blast. Just a couple hours from their house was Lake Chala. No one in the group had been there before so we were all equally blown away. Upon Google-ing the lake name, the first link that comes up is about a death by crocodile attack a few years back, however the parents sussed it out, talked to the locals and decided it was no longer a threat. Phew! Though quite a steep hike down to the lake for children ages 3-8, it was totally worth the effort to get there and the kids were troopers. The lake was clear and the perfect temperature for swimming. The evenings were spent relaxing, playing with kiddos, eating yummy food and, after the kids went to sleep, drinking a few cocktails.
Very fun indeed! A huge thank you to the Browns for generously letting us overstay our welcome. Next time you’re in Boulder, dinner is on us!