Goodbye Summer

As I get ready to leave for Uganda tomorrow, I am reflecting on my wonderful summer in the States. I am going to post some highlights from the last 2 months as a way to say goodbye to the US!

Seeing my nephew Aiden is always a huge highlight of being in the States. This picture is of a trip the two of us took to the Philadelphia Zoo. We got in some good African animal sightings like the giraffe's behind us.

My friend Rachel and I got lots of great time together this summer, including a special trip to Longwood Gardens to see the Indigo Girls perform. Such a great show!

I spent July 4th weekend in New England- this picture is Portsmouth, NH. The best part was seeing friends like Liza, Carla, Charissa and my cousin Taylor.

With coworkers Rachel, Mark and Meg in Nashville, fun to see all of them in the States.

And of course, Maine! Kaitlin, Jen, Aiden and Rob on the Spring Cove Porch. Also had time with Aunt Carol, Meg, Mom and Dad.

All boating together in Maine.

A highlight of the last two weeks was camping with my sister, Bethany, at French Creek State Park. She was a master fire maker.

Some other great memories include time with friends Teresa and Melissa along with Stateside treats like movies, bookstores and coffee shops.

I am grateful for time with so many people I love. Goodbye USA, hello Uganda!

Packing Up

I head back to Uganda in one week which means this coming week will be full of sorting, final purchases and weighing luggage. One skill I have developed living overseas is packing. A few reasons I have become a great packer: 1) We only allow our students to carry small bags on trips of up to 10 days, so I try to do the same. I can get 10 days of stuff in to a carry-on size bag plus maybe a purse for paperwork, etc. The picture to the right is of Adeline and I after a long weekend trip but with some of our trusty bags. (Photo credit to Lisa Tokpa!). 2) Flying internationally limits the weight and space of stuff you can carry so everything is carefully considered- no hardback books, nothing too breakable (although occasionally I try and am then disappointed), a balance of soft and sharp items and getting it all in under 70 pounds a bag (yeah, frequent flier allowance). 3) It is just easier to carry less stuff when traveling. The more time spent traveling the more this truth is driven home. Now I only use travel size items when traveling with students and will bring stuff to wash clothes if needed, rather than bring extra clothes. One of my best accomplishments so far was bringing only 2 carry-on pieces for my trip to Morocco and 2 months in the States this summer- major packing success!

There are always things from the States that I want to take to Uganda, items people are asking me to take or bring for them plus essentials like clothes that go back and forth. It might be hard for people to picture what I could possibly be bringing to Uganda all the time so here is a picture of my current packing process:

You'll see chocolate chips, magazines, movies, other food items, various drink mixes, specific toiletries- all things that are difficult or impossible to find in Uganda. Some of the odder things I have packed are curtains (made by my wonderful sister-in-law), decorations for a friend's wedding in Uganda, 50 pounds of books for the program and on my first trip, a diabetes prick kit to use for malaria tests.

One big change in my packing this time will be a very new purchase:

Yes, a Kindle (and it's cool carrying case). This will definitely change my book load, usually I have packed 10-20 books per trip so that will help!

With the physical act of packing comes the realization that I am leaving a place. It is one of the coming and going moments that feels very concrete- saying goodbye to friends and family in the States, 24 hours of airports and planes, and arriving in Uganda to my home, friends and work there. It is a strange and quick change from one place to another, both places now feeling familiar. It helps to know what to expect on both ends but doesn't make it easier to leave either place.

So now, back to packing. Any things you usually pack or ways you prepare yourself for a big trip?

Blogging

Hello friends! I wanted to write an introductory post about my blog. This is my first time blogging and hopefully it will be a way to communicate with my friends and family about my life. My idea for this blog is to write about my current life in Uganda and my planned return to the States in 2012. I am hoping this will give me a chance to share with you about the transition I'll be making- culture adjustments, re-entry, things I will miss in Uganda, things I am looking forward to in the States and information about life in both places.

So these posts will be about both the present and looking ahead. I am planning to ask some friends who have made a similar transition to write guest posts about their adjustment process. I would love comments and feedback, either on the posts or life in general so please feel free to write me! Also if there is anything specific you would like to hear more about, please let me know.

As you can see, the title of this blog is Coming and Going. That comes from the feeling that I often have of coming and going between places, people and experiences. It is the in-between feeling of living in a different country while the place and people I grew up with are far away. This next year I will have a lot of comings and goings and plan to share it with you here.

Basic Photos of my Uganda Life

My house

USP office (bottom floor with classrooms up top)

Uganda Christian University

Friendly neighbors!