Jambo, habari?

Twenty one days and counting… I hope everyone else is as excited as I am to be heading to Uganda PRETTY SOON. I’ve been absolutely busy at work, which started on the 15th. And I’m trying to get as much training as I can (in a span of 5 weeks!!!) before I leave so I can return to the US still employed.
I’ve been talking about the trip at work nonstop, so I guess they’ll be happy to get rid of me for a good month until I come back with amazing stories and photos—my personal assignment for the trip. A lot of people have also been asking me about my summer plans, and I tell them Uganda is definitely the highlight. Here’s a typical convo:
Friend: So any plans for the summer aside from work?
Me: I’m going to Uganda for a month!
Friend: What for? Vacation?
Me: Have you heard of Bicycles Against Poverty?
Friend: Oh yea, that program started in *insert random non-African country*.
Not even close. But hey, I’m always glad to tell them all about it and what we’ll be doing there. And the convos always end with “oohs”, “aahs”, and “that’s awesome!”
Abhay and I are also planning the rest of our 10-day trip after BAP. Possible destinations: Rwanda and Tanzania. We’re hoping to visit other volunteer organizations or clinics at these places. So anyone who’s staying longer than the 3 planned weeks, you’re welcome to join us on our mini adventure. At the moment we’re looking up places to stay, ways of getting around, etc. Suggestions would also be great.
As for now, I’m getting myself ready for trip, mentally, emotionally, physically (immunizations!!!) and more –allys. I even bought a nice wood-bound travel journal to keep a record of this amazing experience. I haven’t written in it yet, and I figured I’d post my thoughts in this blog first before I get any more threatening emails from Muyambi (sorry for the delay!). But I never thought it’d be this hard to type up how I feel about leaving…or my expectations. I’ve never really been to Africa, although it’s always been my dream—I took French, for example, because it was the only language offered in high school that I could use in Africa. I’ve read, watched, and heard so many stories, but I still feel like it hasn’t prepared me enough for what’s to come. I’m hoping to meet a lot of wonderful people, hoping for the success of BAP so we can send more students in the future, expecting a lot of emotional encounters (and I’m telling you right now, I might be the first one to burst into tears), and hopefully some minor food adjustments (but if we do encounter the stomach flu or anything to that extent, Abhay, Janice, Megan and I have gone through worse…so we’ve got some veterans in the group). I just can’t wait to share this experience with my group, and come home and share the experience with everyone else. I can’t wait to be in a place so unfamiliar, so new, and call it home for a month. I just can’t wait…twenty-one days and counting.

Sophia