My name is not mzungu.

As a western girl born and raised, there were things about Uganda that terrified me. Walking into the hospitals, I forgot to breath a few times. It's a scene I could never capture in words or photograph, it's simply something you have to witness to understand.

While in Uganda, there were times when I wanted nothing more than to go home to my soft bed and take a hot shower and use an actual bathroom. Especially while I was sick, I wanted to go home, but I now have a whole new appreciation for sick people in developing countries, and can personally attest how tough Ugandans are.

While in Uganda, there were a few rough patches here and there. There were a few moments when I was in shock over the absurdity of the situation but now laugh about, a few moments of fear but now remember fondly, a few moments of discomfort that I now cherish. And, thankfully my homesick feelings lasted only a few days before my heart felt at home, and I absolutely loved my spot in Uganda.

I know I was only in Uganda for one month, but during that time I fell in love with it. The people, the land, the culture. . . I am smitten, even more so now that I am leaving and my heart is breaking because I cannot stay. 

Sitting here in the airport, still in Entebbe, I already miss it all.

I miss the cows, ducks, chickens, goats, pigs, turkeys. . .just wandering in and around houses, in the street, through throngs of people. . . I miss them, and how seeing a random chicken walk up beside me (no matter my location) always lightened my heart and brought laughter to my lips.

I miss the simplistic sight of a modest mud home, with breathtaking flowers growing in the front yard, and towering green mountains as the backdrop. So simple, yet so meaningful and breathtaking and beautiful.

I miss taking twice as long to get anywhere because the matatu has to stop at every single trading center in the entire district of Bududa to pick up people.   

I miss seeing naked babies playing jump rope in the evenings in the mud, surrounded by all their siblings. I miss seeing naked babes running around without a care in the world, their black bums free for all the world to see.

I miss seeing 4 and 5 year olds carrying their baby siblings on their backs. The children are forced to grow up so fast here. 

I miss seeing people carrying huge loads on their heads, things like bundles of matoke, jugs of water, baskets of samosas, or 5 full sized mattresses.

I miss seeing groups of children pumping water in the evenings from the village pump to bring home water to their families.  

I miss hearing loud Luganda music blaring from tiny little homes. 

I miss seeing the yellow buckets that every person in Uganda seems to own 5 of.  

I miss playing hackey sack with a ball of grass with the girls from the community.  

I miss late night bucket baths, and looking up at the beautiful African sky, scattered with stars and constellations. 

I miss eating g-nuts on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and chapati on MWF at 11am at clinic. I miss the familiar, happy faces of all the beautiful people I met at Beatrice Tearney clinic on Bumwalukani parish.

I miss sitting by the computer with James, typing as he dictated, and learning from him as he palpated bellies and looked at throats and noses and eyes. . . I miss that little clinic.

I miss buying fresh, giant avocados on the way home from clinic. Mangos, too. I miss buying entire pineapples in Jinja and then eating them right there on the side of the road.

I miss the beautiful black skin. It's going to be weird to not see these gorgeous African people anymore, to not be a minority myself. They are so beautiful, I still catch myself staring wide-eyed at how beautiful everyone is. The beautiful women with babies on their back, working in the fields. Their beautiful dresses and smiles. Beautiful eyes and wide smiles. . . Africans are unlike any people I've ever met before, and I love them.

I miss holding hands with the person I'm talking to, knowing that we each have the other's undivided attention. I miss seeing friends just walking hand-in-hand. It was a little weird at first, but I've come to love it. It's quite endearing, actually. And meaningful.

I just miss the people. It's a totally different way of life in Uganda, a way of life I love. (Sometimes hate, but almost always love;)

I miss the way people talk, their different way of saying things. "Take food and drink" instead of eat. "Produce a child" instead of have a baby. The list goes on and on, and I love it. 

I miss the beautiful fabrics, the stinky fish, the sizzling chapati, the sweet pineapples, the sour passion fruit, the tiny supermarkets, the excess oil in my food, the crowded marketplace, the beautiful red roads, and even the sketchy boda drivers. I miss the terrifying side-saddle rides on the back of the boda bodas. 

And you know what, on days when life is lonely, I may even miss being called mzungu. 

A tour of my home for the last month.

For three weeks of the time I spent in Uganda, I lived in a guest house in the middle of a village in Bududa. Bududa is a district about 1 hour outside of Mbale, the closest city. It was the most rural place I have ever been, and I loved it.

We usually had no electricity, and often had no running water. 

The house!

The "hallway" that leads to our bathroom.

This is the latrine.
I'm grateful for indoor plumbing.

The shower room. Just boil some water, fill up a bucket, and you're good to go!

Me by the door to my room.

Some matoke outside the kitchen. mmm, mmm matoke. They boil these plantains and make them into a mash. It is an Ugandan staple (and, according to every person I asked, it is also their FAVORITE food ever!).

The clothing line. Too bad it always rained so your clothes never got dry ;)

White Water Rafting.

On my last weekend in Uganda, I was able to go White Water Rafting!! It was the time of my life. I had so much fun, I can't even explain it. I would go back 100 times if I could (it was that good!).

The day started off with morning meditation and scripture study overlooking the Nile River:

There were monkeys swinging in the trees, birds callings, fishermen out on their boats. . .I was in heaven. Truly.

We then headed out to go rafting:

The gang's all here!

I had the best time ever, seriously. I LOVE the water--beach, river, lake, you name it. We flipped twice: one the first and last rapids. We got to float along the river when the water was calm. For lunch, they cut up pineapples on upside-down kayaks, and I ate while floating in the river. There were kids out playing in the water as we floated by, fields of maize, beautiful wildlife, beautiful sky. . . I met awesome people, especially this one lady who is a teacher in Nairobi. She moved to Kenya 15 years ago and everyone said she'd be home in less than a month, but here she is many years later!

Also, our guide was basically the most attractive man to walk the earth, so that helped, too, I'm sure. ;) 

Just a few of my favorite moments in Uganda.

Welcome to Uganda, this is how you buy your meat.

That day I got my most favorite dress ever, by total happenstance, and almost got engaged to the lady's son, a 25 year-old Ugandan man who studied in Italy but now lives in Canada. 

Teaching children how to make music with grass. . . always very fascinating (and a bit challenging). :)

Walking home by the river.

Hiking to the waterfall! It was quite the journey.. . . through corn fields, on the side of the mountain, past schools, homes, pregnant ladies carrying matoke on their heads, over rivers and streams, up the mountain. . .  but we finally made it:)

Flipping. . . . on multiple occasions:)

Bukigai Trading Center. . . and riding through on the back of the boda boda. If you want a good time, this is it, my friends: excitement, adrenaline, lots of noise. . .
Until we hit an old man, and my heart broke :'(

On our way to go rafting . . :) All smiles despite our hunger.

This is me accomplishing a life goal: holding a chicken like a local Ugandan. I'm so proud!;)

Drinking milk while on outreach, in the main room of this home. One of my fondest memories from the entire month I stayed in Uganda. Such kind, gracious, humble people. I LOVE THEM!

We ate that fish. Mmm, tilapia!

Young girls' group.

One afternoon, after working in clinic for the day, we attended Young Girls' Group. This group is for girls of any age really, but focuses on the needs of pre-teen girls. They had a little lesson planned, so we listened in on that lesson (although, not in English), and then taught something we had planned.

When deciding what we would teach, we wanted to teach something that would encourage the village girls to stay in school, and follow their dreams. So we talked about goals and dreams, and how they can be accomplished. We had them write (or draw) their big dream in life, and them write three short-term goals that would lead to that goal. We then braided bracelets out of three strings of fabric; each string representing one of their three short-term goals, all coming together to create their larger goal, represented by the entire bracelet. It was kind of cheesy, but I'm a big fan of cheese, so it's all good. ;)

Our awesome girls!

My cute girls.

And again.:)

The fabric for bracelets.

We then walked home together and they attempted to teach me more Lugisu. It was one of the most memorable moments in Uganda. . . just a simple walk home, a tiny moment in time, with so much meaning.