First Year in Uganda Down...
Hey everyone!
Today is officially my 1 year anniversary with Uganda (well, living
here). It's actually just past my 2 year anniversary with falling in
love with this country. Can you believe it?! I can't.
I celebrated my 1 year anniversary by first going to the post office
where I received some great stuff from a few of you (thank you soooooo
much!!! I'm having guacamole and tortilla chips for dinner, and then
breakfast, then dinner, then...). Then I decided to have what I
called "Happy Westernization Day", to pay homage to my 1st and true
home. I went to Garden City Mall, had a BLT on a bagel at New York
Kitchen and then went and had my hair cut and colored and got a
pedicure. These are things I always do myself, but after 10 rough
days in Gulu (longest blog entry EVER coming soon), I felt I deserved
it. Haircut....not so great (Nicolette I miss you like whoa), dye job
awesome, thought I had to bring my own hair dye (I love Uganda) and
the pedicure was out of this world!!! The guy kept cracking up and
scooting his chair back because my feet are so ticklish I couldn't
stand it and he was worried about getting kicked in the face
(Adrienne...remember my first pedicure ever when I almost kicked the
Chinese woman in New York City?).
On my way home from town, I was on the back of the boda thinking over
the past year.
This past year has been the most challenging and most fulfilling year
of my life (which, by the way, in 10 days will be 29 years of
life--holy crap!). I have done things I had only dreamed of doing.
I've had some major let downs, moments where I've never been so
depressed before, but I've also experienced some of the happiest
moments of my life. Truly.
People say things like, "Kate, you're doing such wonderful stuff for
people. You're helping out so much". It is hard for me to except
that sort of praise because honestly, I think I'm getting the most out
of the things I've been doing. My world has absolutely been rocked in
the most amazing way. The past 10 days in Gulu, I cried 3 times, all
of which were out of an insane amount of happiness. I am so turning
into my mother. I have come to terms with this and have decided that
this is OK because my mother is an amazing lady.
This is also a tough day because I am celebrating my 1 year
anniversary, but also saying goodbye to my dear friend Meredith.
Meredith has been here since January 25th. She was on my GYPA trip
(my second trip to Uganda--January 2007), and we've been living
together off and on since then. I am devastated to see her go.
So...in the last year I have said, not goodbye but until later, to
some very important people in my life (hardest thing to do ever), been
forced to learn a whole new level of patience, helped to start and run
One Mango Tree, finished lectures at Makerere University and been
placed at he top of my class (see patience levels), learned more about
this culture than I ever thought possible and am just starting to
realize, had my entire outlook on almost everything altered, saved 5
cats (I only have 3 in my home), etc. I'm amazed and so happy!
I have also watched a lot of people I've grown to love leave. The
problem with being here for so long is that most others are not
(non-Ugandans of course). I am so tired of saying goodbye to people.
So a new chapter is beginning in what I will start calling season 3 of
my Uganda saga. I will soon be welcoming a new roommate, continuing
my work with One Mango Tree and writing my dissertation.
I have officially started the countdown, and will be seeing many of
you December 5th! Have some hugs ready because I need them. That's
what I miss the most. Hugs.
OK, having a mom moment! Must stop before this totally turns into a
Hallmark commercial!
