Instant Gratification

Have you heard? I have arrived.
Have you ever had that feeling when you first meet someone or eat something or try on a pair of clothing and instantly you just know that it will be a relationship of long-lasting comfort? I have- when I met Ellen at BYU, tried my first date and discovered what a romper is and now with Uganda. It didn’t happen as I flew in or through immigration or even as I scanned the crowd of little white signs trying to find the one with my name on it. It happened when I stepped outside. Then I knew. My voice softened, my face settled into content and I felt at ease. All my mother’s worries left me, my packing list no longer mattered, and the heat didn’t seem oppressive. Finally, I am here.

I had the first morning to kill till my program picked me up at the hostel. Somehow in all the countries in, all the world, in all of Africa, I happen to have a friend of a friend who is now my friend who is living here, come visit me. Travis. We spent the morning, walking all around Entebbe a- getting to know each other b- walking in a wildlife reserve with monkeys along Lake Victoria and c-working out my Ugandan legs. Uganda has this odd sense of similarity to several places I have been but naturally has its own uniqueness. The weather is hot but incredibly fine, the people are dressed impeccably, and the food is simple and bland. The native language (English is the official language and mostly spoken) is not only entertaining to hear but fun to speak. It’s all said how it looks and its looks ridiculous. It’s like being a kid and making up words only saying them a lower volume (Ugandans speak very softly).

That afternoon I meet the other interns and program directors (see picture below) and made the journey to our hometown, Jinja (see following post).