Normal.

I've been told by my only loyal reader on this blog that I need to write a blog post. I'll be honest, I think I am a terrible blogger. Blogging takes time and dedication. I have the time, but apparently not the dedication. I think desire gets thrown into the mix too... and creativity. I often think, who the heck would want to read about my life? Apparently my best friend does. Which is funny, because she knows more about what is going on in my life right now than pretty much anyone else.

Perhaps her timing could not be more perfect. It has been one year since I left Uganda and this week I have been thinking about it quite a bit. I think I have hit all re-entry, culture shock, and craziness of leaving one country and entering another that happens. I have written a master's thesis, traveled to Boston a few times, and managed to graduate. I flew to Sri Lanka to be able to watch a good friend get married and felt like I was the queen of the world by staying in some posh places. In the process of returning to the states, I got stuck in Qatar and feared for my life, cried like a fool, and was in complete awe of the amount of sand that the country held. Maybe I should have been in more awe of their oil. So technically I can check off the Middle East and Arabian Peninsula off of my- travel-to-one-day list. I also really regret not buying the dates in the duty-free store in the Doha airport.

I returned to Minnesota and life got predictably normal. Because lets face it, normal people don't travel and move and change addresses as much as I have in the last five years. I'm figuring out normal and it is growing on me. Normal means making dinner for my parents at night and getting great joy out of their satisfaction. Normal means being able to see my friend's babies toddlers grow and learn and change. Normal means teaching said toddler how to draw snowmen and getting him addicted to it. (Sorry Beth!) Normal means spending hours and hours on end applying for more than 150 jobs and still being unemployed; and then having your friends/colleagues tell you they have applied to double your amount and are still unemployed. Normal means trying to figure out how to make friends in a normal setting. Normal means trying to explain on a volunteer application why you have more than seven addresses in the last five years and not sound crazy. Normal means shoveling the limited amount of snow we have gotten. Normal means being pasty white (because I live in MN) and being okay with it. Normal means hanging out with my cousins on a weekly basis. Normal means meeting with dear friends who have equally un-normal lives but somehow have ended up normal with me. Normal means drinking more, wait for it- green tea than coffee. Yes, I did just admit to the world that I am drinking more green tea right now than coffee.

So in the midst of all this normal, I find it hard to write a blog. Yet people get famous by writing a blog on their normal lives. But is that really what I want? Not really. I don't really want to be a famous blogger. Maybe, just maybe, I am joining the ranks of normal bloggers. Mediocre bloggers. The thing is, wherever someone is in life it seems so normal to them that they don't think anyone would be interested in reading about their lives. Because to them, it seems boring. I even felt like that towards the end of my time in Uganda. Yet we fail to realize that our normal will never be normal to anyone else. Yes, other people may relate- but my reality in all its conditions will never be like anyone else. wow. Did I just talk myself into blogging? Maybe I did. But here is the thing. Do I have the desire and time? I have the time (remember the 150 failed job applications?) but do I have the desire? Probably not... at least not until my dear friend tells me to write another blog post.

And for kicks, since blog posts are always more interesting with pictures, I have included one with my mother and I doing a normal winter thing of visiting the conservatory.

Did you notice the pasty white skin? Yeah, apparently that is normal for Minnesota in January.

Where have I been?

I've been gettin' around! Since returning from Uganda I have been to the following places and done the following things:

I spent half a week in Florida, watching my brother and his college baseball team. It was pretty fun! My other brother came down for the weekend, and for the first time in more than seven months, my entire family was together. Unfortunately it was short lived and a day later we all scattered. But I still was able to get quality time in with my brothers!



My mother and I drove to eastern Wisconsin to visit grandparents on both sides. It always amazes me at how different my culture and generation is than theirs. Despite our differences, I always love being with my grandparents. I spent a few days with my mothers parents. We went on a drive through a state park, stopped to climb the watch tower, and then over to meet the park ranger. My grandfather is good friends with her and we had good chat. She then let me hold bird seed in my hand and chickadees landed to feed. It was a thrilling experience to feel their delicate bodies on my fingers.


We then went south a few hours to see my dad's mother. We spent the day going from one quilt shop to the other, looking at fabric. We also stopped at Starbucks where I was able to introduce my grandmother to the coffee chain for the very first time! Her opinion was that it was too expensive and the coffee too strong! Who can blame her when she can go to McDonalds and get a cup of coffee for 50 cents?




A few weeks after my Wisconsin trip I went to Chicago to watch baseball again. This time my wonderful cousin joined my parents and I. We had a great time hanging out, talking about life, and watching baseball!




Directly after Chicago I flew to Boston. I'm tellin' ya- I am getting around this spring! I impulsively purchased a plane ticket, at 2:00AM, with all my delta air miles. I couldn't sleep and I just decided to go for it. I woke up the next morning thinking- what the heck did I do!? For those of you who know me well, I do not buy things, that expensive, on a whim. Well, this impulsive purchase worked out well. I had major writing to do on my thesis and I needed to focus. I was at the school for 12 hours a day, primary working on my paper. It was a huge blessing to be able to just focus and write. It was good to be back in Boston, see friends, and remember that I am still a student despite not being on campus all year long!



This weekend I have been writing and putting the final touches on my paper. It occurred to me today that I successfully was able to take an exciting six months of living in Uganda and turn it into a dry, technical paper. Since I have been back I have been analyzing one particular school I worked with and the community in which it is located. I realized this morning that I got to the point where the soul of the paper had died and that it was just facts on a blank page. I never want to forget the incredible experience I had working and living in Uganda. The people, the smiles, the smells, the food, the passion, the drive to change things- that is what makes up this dear country. Not a bunch of statistics written by an expat.

So where to next?
Chicago in a few weeks for my brother's college graduation.
Boston to present my paper and celebrate my graduation.
Sri Lanka to celebrate a dear friend's wedding.

And then hopefully back to East Africa to continue working. This time it won't be with Fount, but hopefully I will land a job with an equally amazing organization. I will keep you posted!

Safari

Well, the lack of blog posts does not mean the lack of activity in my life. Things have picked up pace and I feel like I am living at typical American pace instead of Ugandan pace.

First off, I went on Safari. It was a blast! After a very long, and somewhat bumpy 6 hour drive, we arrived at Murchison falls in Northern Uganda. To a short hike and a view of this:



Afterward, we continued along our bumpy way to the base camp where we were promply greeted by these warthogs:


The next day, we were up and ready to go and saw the sun rise over the nile.


While impressive, the animals soon took priority as we saw these fellows:



And this guy:


And this one:




And nearly got attacked by this:



Back to base camp where we enjoyed a long lunch break. Only to be whisked away to the boat tour down the nile. Where I saw many crocodiles:



And Hippos:


And birds:



The finale was this:


The next day, we drove back to Kampala. However, we had to make a stop at the Rhino park. I was 10 feet away from this gal:



While waiting around for these crazy animals to do anything, I took time to capture the finer details of Uganda. Dew:


And that my friends, was the adventure of my Ugandan Safari.

What a week!

What a week! This week has been packed full! I thought that the end of the school year here in Uganda would free up more time, and somehow I am a bit more busy.

This week I have been working with one of the schools to push through a proposal to send 60 children and 4 teachers to a literacy camp. It is a great opportunity for them to spend time in books, learning how to read, and how to teach literacy! I am so excited about this opportunity for these children and teachers to soak in books!

In addition to this, my mom came to town! I went down to pick her up from Entebbe. We stayed at a fabulous hotel! Let me tell you, it was a wonderful break! I had amazing curry, spent the evening reading, and then took a car to the airport to wait for my mom. In the car, I met a man from Kenya who was there picking up a friend. It turns out, that we have mutual friends from Food for the Hungry. What a small, small world!

It has been a busy few days introducing my mom to the people I work with in each village/site. She made village scones, met some teachers who are working on the above literacy project, ate Ugandan food at a friend's home, had a dress fitting for a Ugandan dress, had her first ride on a bush taxi, went to the market, and enjoyed the first five episodes of season 4 Chuck. (I love Chuck...).



It is great to have her here, seeing my life and work. She has jumped right into life in Uganda and has no fear in trying different things! :)

Saturdays- Jewelry and the Nile

Today, I decided to be a bit of a tourist and go to Bujagali Falls, which is part of the Nile. It is stunningly beautiful! My friend and boda driver took me out and we enjoyed seeing the falls together. It is quite a bumpy ride out to the site, but once you get there it is all worth it. There are really no words to describe its beauty so here are two pictures for you to enjoy.


Lovin' the Nile!



Stunningly beautiful!

Last Saturday the NGO sponsored a jewelry-making course for deaf children at a local primary school. Bernard, a skilled jeweler, whose shop is near our office, led the course. There were nearly thirty students learning how to string beads. Typical to children anywhere, they eagerly began, with giggles of excitement as they worked for four hours on their new skill. Below are a few pictures to capture the day.



Hard at work!



Too cute for words.

Made it!

I made it to Uganda! I feel so blessed by the entire trip. In Chicago, one of my classmates, Megan, was on my flight to London. We talked before we got on the plane and then after we landed. It was nice to see her, hear what she is doing, and start my trip out with a Hellerite!

Literally, two minutes after I said goodbye to Megan, I entered the bathroom and met a woman who was also traveling to Uganda. Mind you, I had a ten hour lay-over in London and I thought it was a bit odd that someone happened to be on my Chicago flight who was also going to Uganda. She suggested that I go into the city with her and take a bus tour. Now, I have never been a big fan of bus tours. Somehow I have never thought it was the way to go- you really don’t get to experience the culture of a place, just see its buildings. Well, while I didn’t experience much direct British culture (with the exception of food ordering), I did see a great many buildings. I am even willing to publicly announce that bus tours are not a bad option! Especially if the public transportation might be confusing to get to various touristy areas. I had a wonderful time getting to know this woman (turns out she is from the area my brother lives!) and touring London with her. My hope is to be able to connect with her at least once while I am here.

After we returned to the airport, we spent some time having dinner, freshening up, and people watching in England’s best terminal (terminal 5). The flight to Uganda was incredibly empty with an odd mix of people. East Africans, study abroad students, older looking aid workers, missionaries, tourists, and the occasional volunteer. I must say, the steward staff were the best I have ever had! They were so nice, friendly, and talkative. I am going to assume that the majority, if not all, the people on this flight like to travel and enjoy cultures- so we generally all got along.

John, a local man, picked me up from the airport and I enjoyed the 4 hour drive to where I am currently. I asked him a lot of basic questions about the culture and society. He in returned, took it upon himself to play tour guide and point out various spots along the way (i.e. the Coca Cola factory, tea, sugar, and banana plantations, the section of the city that sells radios, etc.)

John dropped me off and I was warmly greeted by Lori, my new supervisor, and her puppy, Muffin. Lori is great- I am looking forward to working with her! And the puppy, well- she is super cute! I am kinda glad we have a dog since I have wanted one for so long.