A moment of gratitude =)

I think it is about time to talk about some of the things I love about Uganda and the things I am most grateful for having in my life while I am here. After all, you get out of life what you give so I have been focusing on putting myself out there, making mistakes, learning, and staying as positive as I can—much harder to do here where I am constantly feeling vulnerable.

In another post I will talk about how Uganda is a country filled with extremes, but for now I just want to focus on why I love it here. The landscape and environment is gorgeous. Green, green, green everywhere and such a variety of trees and foliage. My favorite thing to do is look out the window from a taxi or bus while traveling across the country. Mango trees and acacia trees jut out of no where, dense forests with ferns, rows of pine, acres of tea leaves, sugarcane, and maize. There are also plenty of mountains and lakes sprawled across the land. It really feels so natural and real. And people live in this nature, alongside it, plotting their grass-thatched mud huts and family compounds right in the bush, making sure to plant some banana, orange, and guava trees for both fruit and protection from the ever-beating sun. The fact that moving around the country is so easy (although not without intense frustration in its own right) makes the experience more enriching. Travel is cheap and Uganda is small, so going from one place to another is possible. The roads are pretty terrible and break downs always happen, it just takes planning and patience. Another guilty pleasure is traveling in matatus, taxis, because they pack them so tight. It may get hot, but people are mostly friendly, you stop and vendors come to the window to sell snacks like roasted plantains and maize, and I love that feeling of being packed in. I am weird I know, but it sort of feels comforting. If you don’t feel like riding in that, the most popular form of transport is by boda boda, motorcycle. It is super fast and cheap. However, pcvs are not allowed to ride these because of how dangerous they are. But what you can do is give them a little money and send for things like groceries or airtime, maybe even a key to your hotel room that your friend took with them haha.

Another thing I love is how contend and humble most people hold themselves in this country. Life is hard and people bare with it and work even harder. Therefore, the simple things are all the need and they don’t have grand ideas about what they should have or should not have. Strangely there is a large sense of entitlement in regards to money, but not in regards to goods or services. Time is also spent leisurely and freely when work is not to be done. For the most part, everyone is very warm and friendly, glad to see me in their country. The kids are even better. They will run up to me shouting “muzungu” and saying hello, many coming in for a hug or a touch on the hand. They just love us strange white people. The students at school can really get attached and it is a love I really enjoy feeling. Watching them play is also really entertaining, they are so creative with the games they come up with and they are ever doing gymnastics around. A popular one is taking an old tire and using a stick to travel with it, or finding spare parts to make toy trucks.

The men here are gorgeous. Facial structure, tall and lean with muscle from work, long lashes, and good skin and teeth. Can’t help but include this haha. Fresh vegetables are always available, in fact I don’t eat anything that isn’t fresh, local, and organic; that is all they have here. I probably pass the gardens where the food is grown! And if I need to top up dinner with an egg or something else, I can just walk to the duka (store shop) right down the road that has all the essentials people in the village need. Walking around anywhere you are forced to greet all the time. Although at first I was not used to this, it reminds me of the human element in living in a community and how simply recognizing someone else and taking time to ask how they are can mean so much.

Now this is getting long so I am just listing what I am even more grateful for:

Lots of veggies and beans so I can stay a vegetarian

Somewhat moderate climate (could be much colder and much hotter)

Good friends that I see on weekends

A married couple of volunteers that are my neighbors-Love the Rentropes!

Good communication home to people who love and support me endlessly

Being challenged by this place and these people to be a better person 

Cool small cities to enjoy, one of which is very close

Abundance of coffee

I can go running and exercise

A couple really good co-workers at site

The real friends I have made with Ugandans

I am not wasting much (little garbage, tons of compost)

I have running water and electricity most of the time

National language is English

I am healthy and safe on a regular basis

Tons of things to read and watch

I have a good bed and a net to sleep under

Oatmeal in the mornings

I am learning and growing personally and professionally