Saturday, September 12, 2015

Can't think of a title worthy enough for this epicness this contains

Going up?
Our second rest stop 4 hours into
climbing Mt. Muhabura
The past month was school break between Term 2 and 3. Awwww, the holidays. A time to relax and refresh… HA! Not this time. It was… how do you say? “packed full”.

1. ALL VOL
Yeah, Prom!
            The all volunteer conference is exactly what it sounds like: a crazy, drunken mess of all the 100+ Peace Corps volunteers in Uganda getting together for a week to discuss serious ideas/projects or to share silly/ridiculous stories since the last time they were together who knows how long ago. It’s a lot of fun. Especially the dancing part (duh)





2. BOOOOOOKS
Easy to use book label
identifier 
            My school received (with the initiative of other PCVs) a shipment of boxes containing 1000+ Books for Africa books. It took awhile to sort through all of them and to categorize them into different levels, but I did it! And in a very simple way too. Just look at the identification sticker on the spine of the book to see where it goes on the shelf and what level it is :D Library time is going to be very enjoyable this term (I’ve already read quite a few of my favorites)


Good thing I gave myself a library card ;)















Interactive kids books!
3. CAMP
            I was chosen to be a counselor for the 1st ever Conservation Camp in Uganda started by some amazing PCVs. The camp was held in the most beautiful part of Uganda down in the southwest part. It’s very far from where I currently live, but I was able to pass through the area I kind of lived in during the 1st year of my service for the first time since March. (It still felt like home to be there again)
Go red team! :D
            It was a day camp and I had 4 secondary school student campers in my group. It was a fun and informative week where we learned how we can make crafts out of old straws, how to weave baskets, and also how to construct a bee hive. We also planted trees, did a street cleaning, dug a permagarden, and discussed how to share these important lessons with the community.

4. MUHABURA
            The district where I was for camp boarders Rwanda and Congo. There is a mountain range in this area and this time last year when I had my friend, Gerald visit me, we hiked the one whose peak is where the three countries meet. This time after camp, me and another PCV friend/counselor decided to hike up the tallest one in Uganda. It was a tuff trek up the slippery rocks and rickety ladders, but we made it and had beautiful weather and views the whole way (which is very rare!) We even went “swimming” in the crater lake at the top- COLD AS KNIVES! We started up at 8 and made it back down at 5. (my legs=so much jello)
I look so disgruntled, but I promise
I'm happy we did it!

5. COS
#bestie bathroom selfie
            This… this was the most emotionally exhausting conference of my service. Even now I still can’t believe it’s over. When I first arrived almost two years ago now, my Close of Service conference felt like light years away. This was the last time my Peace Corps group, Cohort 2-the education group of November 2013, would all be together. The last time I’ll probably see most of them, because even though we still have some months remaining, everyone lives so far away that we hardly see each other, other than at conferences.
The most beautiful rendition of
"Don't Stop Believing"
ever played ever.
It was so insane to me to spend our last week together reflecting on our service and memories. Of course we had informative sessions like “Resume Tips”, “Mock Interviews”, and “What To Get Done Before COSing”, but there were also a lot of emotions stirred by making a diagram of our highs and lows, sitting in a circle and saying 1st or best memories of each other, and the slideshow. Especially the slideshow. (Thank you Ravi and Marvin for holding my hands during the whole 40 minutes <3) Some PCVs also made a year book for our cohort that everyone was signing :)
It was simply beautiful looking and thinking back to the beginning when I didn’t know who any of these people were or any idea what I was getting myself into and now seeing how everyone has grown and the huge impact they have had on my life. I love these people so much and I’m so sad to be leaving them so soon, but I’m so so blessed to have been part of such a solid group. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better one <3
delicious desserts at
every meal!
All sappy emotions aside, there were also a lot of really exciting emotions because we got to stay in a super swank hotel and actually looked and felt like a real hotel from the states! Hot showers every night, staff who actually had fast and friendly customer service, a TV, refrigerator, and kettle in every room, real mattresses, three pools, a full gym and sauna, a legit conference room, air conditioning, and such amazing amazing food (cheesecake, lunch meats, cream cheese, lettuce, blue cheese, honey ribs, poached eggs, bacon, steak, chicken tikka masala, coconut tilapia, croissants, and all the fruits). I never wanted to leave (in fact I wrote that on their comment card).
On my comment card I wrote
"never want to leave"

6. VIEWER DISGRESSION IS ADVISED
            After climbing the mountain, the bottom part of my big toe nail was a little loose. As I was saying goodbye to a friend at the hotel, my nail was accidentally ripped (mostly) off. Blood is coming out and everyone comes to my rescue. My PCV friends help me to a room where the manager has told me to go for the doctor to fix me up. Firstly, the fact that the manager came running like that was so unlike typical Uganda hotel behavior. Secondly, this place has a doctor??? Thirdly, they brought me a wheelchair XD So I get it cleaned up and luckily the PC coaster had just arrived so I was able to go to the office where the PC doctor cut most of the nail off that wasn’t attached. Wrapped it up and I headed home where I then was able to remove the rest of it.
Need some red nail
polish to match now












7. HOME

            It feels amazing to come home after being on the move for two weeks. Especially when your teachers are all around and greet you with a “Well be back!” Except when you don’t have a ceiling (like me) and now your house is a dusty, dirty mess after letting it sit untouched for so long. But it’s times like those that I like to remember the wise words of Snow White: “Whistle while you work”. Monday begins not only the last term of the academic year, but also of my Peace Corps service. EEK! :O

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