1/2 over or 1/2 left?

So, this past Monday was the ½ way point of this trip, and I am having mixed emotions about that. On one hand, I’m sad that my time here is winding down…I have learned so much here from the culture, from the people and just from living the day-to-day life in another country. I will definitely miss the people I have met here—African and American (the ladies…and Phil/"wiki wiki"…that I am living and teaching with are incredible). And I am going to miss the things that are uniquely African that I have already started to take for granted. On the other hand, I am looking forward to coming home because I miss all of you, and I miss my routine, and I miss the conveniences of home (had a slight meltdown on Tuesday from being homesick). I just need to keep my mind focused on Africa while I’m still here because I don’t want these next few weeks to go by without me really being present. I’ll tell you what though, my mind has been turned upside down, like a million times, and it has been a mental and emotional roller coaster for sure. I have learned to expect the unexpected and that you have to just roll with things…kind of hard for a control freak, but a good lesson.

Examples of things you just have to roll with:
• Electricity going out…for 2 full days, taking with it the running water if outlong enough and a long ass email you were just about to send.
• Litter everywhere
• Cleaning contacts with bottled water
• Only using shower water when rinsing…water is off while washing your hair, lathering up, shaving, etc.
• There is always noise in one form or another
• B.O.
• Going to the bathroom in a toilet that about 5 other people already went in (both forms) and hadn’t flushed because the toilet water hadn’t refilled yet…ew.
• Living with 10 women
• Thinking my main mission in coming here was to teach, then realizing they don’t need me at all…the important thing is forging relationships and establishing dialogue.
• SUPER slow internet
• Dirty feet…constantly
• Posho
• African time…i.e. when is lunch? It’s scheduled for 1pm…ish but frequently isn’t till 3pm
• Items listed on the menus at restaurants are only hypothetical.

Amazing things you won’t experience anywhere else:
• Standing 20 feet away from a rhino
• Teaching with James David
• Seeing a chicken running around the teachers' lounge in the morning…then having chicken for lunch…hmm
• The lessons learned and conversations had from living this experience
• Boda boda rides
• The honor, respect and welcome-ness of the Acholi
• The stars….almost every night I see the milky way and the southern cross, amongst a gazillion other stars
• Agness and Doreen
• Shaking hands with passers-by even if you don’t strike up conversation with them.
• The scenery…it’s amazing
• So many live chickens and goats just wondering around town
• Genuine happiness
• The sites: grass-thatched homes, the bore hole, cutting the grass with a "slasher," and my favorite is still the site of women carrying things on their head, something in both hands, and a child on their backs
• The excitement of kids screaming “munu, hi” or “how are you? I am fine” and then running up to you because they just have to hold your hand. I’ll be honest…somedays this is annoying…especially when you are on your way to eat and you just washed your hands…I actually ran away from a little girl the other day…full sprint…I felt so bad, but oh well.
• “the what, the (insert random word here).”
• “sorry”
• Matthew at Ma’s computers
• Resilience!!!!!