Hi all,
I know it’s been a few days since we all parted ways but I
thought I would put up one final blog post.
Being still in Kampala, I’m a little nostalgic about our wonderful
trip! I’m not sure who, if anyone, will
read this but I thought I would talk briefly about our experiences together.
When I left Montreal one month ago now to travel to Uganda
and meet all of you in Brussels, I had no idea what to expect. Yes, I had been here before and I know we
often talked about how both trips related and differed, especially in terms of
their timetables, but I knew this time around would be unlike anything any of
us had ever witnessed. And it was. Looking back, our three weeks together were
filled with some incredible moments, amazing surprises and great laughs, but
overall, some fantastic memories. I will
always cherish singing the “Tuna Song” while we asked Imbaho again and again, “are
you sure you mean the dark nonald?” I will also never forget sitting around in
Jim’s courtyard on one of our first mornings in Rukungiri and playing mafia for
the first time. Little did I know how
prominent that game would figure in the rest of our trip! I loved our time exploring Kampala and Queen,
as well as all of our days spent on the road enjoying the absolutely stunning
scenery that Uganda has to offer.
I also loved our time at Bishops. Two years ago, we didn’t interact with the
students in the same way. For any Groton
kids reading this, you went above and beyond.
You stepped outside of yourselves to become part of a group of students
with a completely different way of life and most likely a totally alternate
perspective too. I loved watching and
being a part of these interactions and I am so proud of how you all made the
most of the situation you found yourselves in.
I recognize that being in a foreign place for an extended period of time
is not easy. It requires confidence in
yourself and your group and a willingness to leave behind your comfort zone. I experienced this two years ago when I first
came to Uganda and again this summer. I
think that feeling of newness and trying hard at something that may be
uncomfortable or unknown is something so valuable. To me it’s an experience that everyone should
have at some point. Taking risks is hard
but all of you did and you did it so well.
I was so impressed with the effort you put in and your desire to really
get to know Ugandan culture.
I LOVED my time with everyone and I wanted to share
that. Thank you so much to everyone for
making Uganda 2014 what it was. Thank
you to each and every Groton kid for all that you did and for making me feel so
welcome as another member of this trip.
I can’t wait to get down to Groton hopefully sometime next year to
visit! Thank you to Randi, Tim and
Margaret for leading us and to Nishad for so much of the coordinating and planning
that went into this trip. I’d also like
to extend a massive thank you to Lesley and Michael at Venture for all of their
hard work and consistently upbeat attitudes.
Everyone contributed to making this trip great and I thank you all for letting
me be a part of it.
I’m here for another week and am looking forward to the rest
of my time in beautiful Uganda even as it winds down. Yes, I am still having matoke and yes I am
looking forward to a delicious salad once at home but I’m so happy to be
here. I have loved my time with all of
you here and feel so lucky that everything worked out the way it did. Thank you all again for all that you did-
here’s to more amazing Groton trips to Uganda in years to come!
Enjoy the rest of summer!
Tina