There are so many, limitless in fact, ways to see and experience the world. For a long time, I have (blissfully) been some what self-righteous about my open mind. Yes, I understood that there were many ways to interact with the material world but recently I have become acutely aware and open to experiencing another’s […]
Read more "life after the village // back hOMe"This year Thanksgiving fell on Saturday, December 8th. It was Brooke’s last night in the village before returning to the States for two months. It seemed fitting. We gathered the troops, loaded up the Prado eight or so deep and ventured into town on a mission to find a saycoco (turkey). Like anything else here, […]
Read more "Thanksgiving"27th Birthday I have always enjoyed my birthdays mainly because it gives me a good excuse to bring all of my favorite people together. The day is usually filled with the 3 F’s..friends, family and food (thanks Javier). Spending a birthday in a foreign country is always unique and special. A big difference here is […]
Read more "Settling in…"Like I mentioned before, and as Brooke warned me, there are individuals around the village that are “your people.” These are people who you instantly connect with on a deep level. The connection goes beyond intellectual comprehension, which is the best part. One of “my people” is Musa. He is probably about 15-years-old and the […]
Read more "Letters from the Heart"Mzungu One of the first words I learned was Mzungu (white person). As I travel from village to village on the back of a boda (motorcycle taxi), this is a word I hear repeatedly. Kids of all ages run to the road and warmly yell, “Hello Mzungu, Byyyeee.” It is like they are taught this […]
Read more "“lows will have their compliment of highs”"At the end of October, Brooke went back to Kampala for a few days to pick up her dad and the co-founder of S.O.U.L., Ken Stern, and our Executive Director, Jenna Rogers. This was good for two reasons. One, it gave me two days to test the waters of being the Project Manager when Brooke […]
Read more "Welcome Ken & Jenna"Tonight I laughed so hard, Arafat (Mama Ali’s son, i.e. my brother) told me to stop or else I would have a stomach ache or hurt myself. After a nice sunset yoga session overlooking the River Nile, we headed to dinner at Abiolya and Shameem’s house. They are the most modern family in the village […]
Read more "Dinner Discussions"