Exactly two years ago, 45 strangers embarked on a journey together, having touched down on African soil (a first for many of us) at Entebbe Airport at approximately 6:00PM on August 11, 2010.
We originated from all different parts of the United States. Wisconsin, California, Virginia, New Jersey, Texas, Iowa, Maine. Some of us had very extensive travel experience; others had never previously been out of the country. Some of us just graduated from college; others were leaving husbands, wives, and children behind. We came in with a variety of experiences, perspectives, interests, backgrounds, and reasons for joining the Peace Corps. Racially, we were not a diverse group, but individualistically, we were an incredibly diverse and unique group.
Now that I really think about it, it boggles my mind that I've lived in Africa for nearly 1/12 of my life, two years that have given me far more than I have given it.
What does it mean numerically, living in Uganda for 730 days?
4 training groups, about 160 PCV's, have sworn in throughout that time. A little fewer than 729 nights have been slept under a mosquito net. 3 mango flies have been extracted and squeezed out of my left leg. I have fathered 1 dog and 2 cats. 24,000 books have been sorted, labeled, cataloged, and shelved at various schools around Uganda. 20 pounds have unintentionally been lost. 1 Boston sports team (Bruins) won the Stanley Cup, another (Patriots) broke my heart by losing in the Super Bowl, another (Celtics) infuriated me by choking to the egocentric "King James" and the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, and one (Red Sox) can't even play .500 baseball at the moment. The weather never dipped below 65 degrees. Many friends have been made, both in Peace Corps and in Kachumbala.
More than just numbers, though, living in Africa for 730 days has made me even more so appreciate my family, friends, and life back home. It has taught me new things about myself, and reaffirmed things I already knew. It has exposed me to new customs and different ways of thinking about things. It has exposed me to cultural quirks I will never again be exposed to. Unless history repeats itself, and I make a baby cry because of my muzungu exterior, become the victim of another person's vomit, or have the unfortunate priveledge of eating matooke or posho.
Here's to the 44 other people I started this crazy journey with two years ago!
What's in store for me the last two months?
Officially opening Kongunga Secondary School's new library in September when school starts back up, and working alongside Denis, the newly hired librarian, to ensure that everything runs smoothly (pictures on the way). Filling out and reading COS paperwork. Refining my resume. Having my final medical checkup. Cementing travel plans and booking flights. Reflecting. Savoring every last minute I have here. Saying my (hopefully not final) goodbyes.
We originated from all different parts of the United States. Wisconsin, California, Virginia, New Jersey, Texas, Iowa, Maine. Some of us had very extensive travel experience; others had never previously been out of the country. Some of us just graduated from college; others were leaving husbands, wives, and children behind. We came in with a variety of experiences, perspectives, interests, backgrounds, and reasons for joining the Peace Corps. Racially, we were not a diverse group, but individualistically, we were an incredibly diverse and unique group.
Now that I really think about it, it boggles my mind that I've lived in Africa for nearly 1/12 of my life, two years that have given me far more than I have given it.
What does it mean numerically, living in Uganda for 730 days?
4 training groups, about 160 PCV's, have sworn in throughout that time. A little fewer than 729 nights have been slept under a mosquito net. 3 mango flies have been extracted and squeezed out of my left leg. I have fathered 1 dog and 2 cats. 24,000 books have been sorted, labeled, cataloged, and shelved at various schools around Uganda. 20 pounds have unintentionally been lost. 1 Boston sports team (Bruins) won the Stanley Cup, another (Patriots) broke my heart by losing in the Super Bowl, another (Celtics) infuriated me by choking to the egocentric "King James" and the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, and one (Red Sox) can't even play .500 baseball at the moment. The weather never dipped below 65 degrees. Many friends have been made, both in Peace Corps and in Kachumbala.
More than just numbers, though, living in Africa for 730 days has made me even more so appreciate my family, friends, and life back home. It has taught me new things about myself, and reaffirmed things I already knew. It has exposed me to new customs and different ways of thinking about things. It has exposed me to cultural quirks I will never again be exposed to. Unless history repeats itself, and I make a baby cry because of my muzungu exterior, become the victim of another person's vomit, or have the unfortunate priveledge of eating matooke or posho.
Here's to the 44 other people I started this crazy journey with two years ago!
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| January 2011 - A post-IST shot of the majority of our group on the Nile River |
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| October 2011 - A Midservice shot of all 45 of us still in Uganda |
Officially opening Kongunga Secondary School's new library in September when school starts back up, and working alongside Denis, the newly hired librarian, to ensure that everything runs smoothly (pictures on the way). Filling out and reading COS paperwork. Refining my resume. Having my final medical checkup. Cementing travel plans and booking flights. Reflecting. Savoring every last minute I have here. Saying my (hopefully not final) goodbyes.
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