Little Surprises

Merry Christmas!!

It's been a bit of a whirlwind since the semester ended, but I'm finally back home typing away in the peace that can only be found under the warm covers blanketing my top bunk.

It's really quite strange to finally be packing and preparing for Uganda. Talking to extended family members about my upcoming semester for the past several days has certainly brought a more startling sense of reality. I'm leaving, really leaving, in just over a month.

I haven't even left yet, but I've found myself constantly surprised by things I wasn't quite expecting. Planning for a semester in any foreign country is much more than just leaving and returning a few months later. There's so much that no one ever tells you, and I think that's one of the reasons I decided to start my blog so early. It's been an exciting process, but at times a very challenging and confusing one.

Here are some of the things I know now that I wasn't expecting:

• Costs. Going to Uganda for three and a half months requires a lot of preparation. My health insurance covers the cost of some things, but not all. Shots, prescription medicines, visa fees, shipping and mailing fees, and transportation fees may not seem substantial individually, but when compounded can become quite expensive. I've had to purchase new clothes and shoes that are appropriate for the culture and weather, the right kind of sunscreen and insect repellant, and even a headlamp for when the power goes out! 
• Shots really aren't that scary. 
• Moving out of the dorm mid-year is really weird, yet oddly fulfilling. I'll miss my friends and roommate dearly, but I know that I have some exciting adventures ahead.
• People don't know very much about Africa. (Including me!) For a lot of people I think it is easy to lose sight of the fact that Africa is a continent, not a country. Over the past few months I started realizing that we learn hardly anything about the history of the countries of Africa in school, and I think it's a shame. There is a lot of misconception and a general sense of homogeneity when thinking about African countries, including Uganda.
• Saying you're going to Uganda for a semester is kind of unusual to most people. With just about every person I have told about my upcoming semester in Uganda, I've received three main responses: 
1. WHAT?! [I'm shocked that you, Shannon of such fair complexion and generally predictable behavior, would ever choose something like that, but good for you!]
2. AWESOME! WHEN DO YOU LEAVE [and when can I visit]?! *high five*  
3. WHY [would you ever choose to go there]?!
• All of these responses are totally warranted. It's really difficult to slide under the radar when something like this comes up. Sometimes I wish people would just say "ok, cool" and move on, but reveling in the predictability of their response, or trying to guess which one will be elicited, is kind of enjoyable and funny at the same time. When this comes up, I usually have a lot of explaining to do, and even though I'm really used to the idea of going to an African country for a few months, most people are not. There's certainly a lot of answering the same questions over and over, and in the end, people usually think I'm crazy/weird/fascinating or some sort of martyr. It's really hard to convince people that I'm just a student studying abroad, taking on a new challenge. But somehow, it's ok. In fact, it's actually made me feel more at ease just rolling with the punches in general.
• People are extremely curious. People I haven't talked to in months or have little contact with are suddenly interested in what I've been up to; journeying to Uganda certainly brings about some funny things that don't happen during or before a regular semester at school.
• Predicting how I will feel this summer after the program is really hard. As I attempt to plan for what I will be doing this summer, I'm having a bit of trouble even knowing what state of mind I will be in. Perhaps I will want to take on another challenge and intern abroad for another 6 or 8 weeks; but maybe I'll just want to be home doing something locally. My family is moving this summer, so it adds a bit more to the decision. I'll need to pack everything for Uganda and for the big move a few months down the road. It's not a complaint, but it's a lot to think about even before the semester begins.
• Context is important. It is important to keep context in mind when considering in the things people say, how they act, the decisions they make, and the beliefs they have. There is a reason (or reasons) we do the things we do, and there is a certain motivation behind each action, as subconscious as it may sometimes be. 

In reading what I have written in this post and throughout my blog, I don't mean to seem pretentious, assuming, annoying, or anything else negative in origin; but I realize this is how my writing comes off sometimes, even to me. I'm merely trying to express my thoughts, concerns, worries, joys, and experiences as I perceive them. Writing a blog for me is a challenge because I've grown so accustomed to the dry, cold scientific writing required for my studies that it can be difficult for me to expand my horizons and write more candidly. However, it's a challenge I'm looking forward to and am excited to work with.

My initial intention of creating this blog was to provide a window for my family and friends back home to keep up with me in Uganda, but I can now see that it is just as much for me as it is for them.

til next time.