End of Semester (Procrastination) Blog (:

Hi all, sorry it has been a while since I have let everyone know what I am up to! I could blame it on the intermittent campus WiFi, or the very busy end-of-semester schedule, or even on the desire to spend every last waking minute I can with my host family and university friends. Whichever sounds like the best excuse to you, but for now just know that my email (and text!) signatures should read "Expect a reply in 7-10 business days".

But yes, it has come to the end of my time in Mukono at Uganda Christian University. This next week is 'dead week', also known as the week before final exams. I do not know what I was thinking when I thought this semester would be a breeze, but that thought is no more after what this week has in store. I have multiple papers and presentations with deadlines quickly approaching that I have been trying my best to avoid (hence, the new blog post). I am fitting my final few hours in at my practicum site and trying to squeeze in moments in my favorite places throughout Mukono. As my host sister reminded me last night, I only have 12 more nights with my host family, and so despite the busy nature of school, I am trying to stay present with my host family and soaking up every conversation, cup of tea, and spontaneous dance party.

Goodbyes have never been an easy thing for me. Which, I am glad I am no expert at saying goodbye, but it is going to make these next two weeks especially challenging for me. Saying goodbye to the staff and friends I have worked alongside with at the health center will be so interesting. Whether or not they realize it, these individuals have become some of the most influential members when it comes to my educational experience. They have allowed me to become a part of their community, living and working alongside them, in moments of incredible joy and sorrow. In this community, I am known. But in this community, there will be the opportunity for another 'muzungu' next semester to be known as well. The next student will have the opportunity to find his or her role at the health center, crying with the mommas, learning from the INSPIRING midwives, and laughing with the nursing students. For me, this is goodbye, but for the health center, this is just a 'see you soon'.

I have to find some way of saying goodbye to the community. I have formed routines in my three months; saying 'hello' to the three gentlemen at the corner chapati stand, high-fiving and hugging my 4-year-old friends that run up to me each afternoon, waving at the cobbler who fixes my shoes, and using my broken Luganda to greet the hardworking women at the recycling plant every day. At church, I have made so many friends on the praise and worship team, or the woman who passes me her baby when she sees me making faces from afar. Or even the gate guards at UCU, who have given myself and my walking buddy, Sophie, nicknames. Mine is Nakato--which is the name for a younger female twin. Naturally, we got twin names as we are both 'muzungus' and look 'identical'.

But the hardest goodbye, that I think I am trying to put out of my mind, is my host family. I did not realize that in such a short period of time, I would become a part of the family. I did not expect to get as close to them as I have. Thinking about not throwing my siblings in the air and hugging them when I get home from school brings tears to my eyes. Or greeting Amina in both English and Luganda every day. I hope I do not forget laughing with my sister Beatrice when she routinely asks me, "Tell me something good" over evening tea. Or giggling with my host mom and dad about comical scenarios of the day over dinner. Or helping my sister with her English homework. Or rolling my eyes as my younger brothers bang on the bathroom door as I am bathing yelling, 'Emma! Emma! Emma!". I do not want to leave, but even more than that, I just do not want to forget.

But, how lucky am I for hard goodbyes.

I had a hard time deciding what to share for this blog post. It feels weird to write about goodbyes when I am not leaving until mid-May. But, I think this is most appropriate because these are some of the hardest goodbyes that I will have to experience. After finals, our group of USP students and staff will be going to Rwanda for a trip to delve into studying the genocide. After that, we will be going to Entebbe (city where the airport is in Uganda) to debrief this experience and the semester as a whole. Many students will be leaving from this debrief, which will be another set of painful goodbyes. But, I am SO excited to be staying for another two weeks after this to travel to Northern Uganda with four other students to study about Nutrition with an organization called The Mango Project (check out their website, they are doing great work!). After this trip, it will also be time for me to say goodbye to Uganda, for now.

I do not know if I will be able to blog during these adventures during the next month, but I will be sharing my experiences afterwards. So, I apologize in advance if a wave of blog posts happens during the 30 hour journey back to Denver. But, in the meantime, if you have any recommendations on saying goodbye, I will need all the support I can get. Thank you for your continued prayers, much love to all!

Emma