Wow! I can’t believe spring semester is already here. It seems like I was getting on a Colorado bound flight just yesterday and now I’m already back in Tacoma. For me break went by extremely fast which kept things exciting! My first adventure of the break happened just a few days after I got home when Mother Nature decided to dump about a foot and a half of snow on my little town. I had to learn how to drive in the snow all over again which was, to say the least, interesting. I rekindled my love hate relationship with snow and soon enough my driving skills came back.
After all the fun with the snow one of my favorite parts of break was spending the holidays with my family. Both my parents each have twelve (yes you read that right, twelve) siblings which translates into 24 aunts and uncles which means a ton of cousins so you can imagine how crazy holidays back home can be. But the craziness of the holidays is what makes it so much fun! There is always tons of people, amazing food, light hearted teasing and laughing, a visit from Santa, and of course no holiday in my family is complete without the karaoke sesh that lasts until 2:30 in the morning. It is no different with my dad’s side of the family. There is lots of reminiscing with my grandma about all the crazy things her kids tried to pull while she wasn’t looking while we play cards, which somehow she always manages to win. This year the holidays were a blast and I was able to catch up on everyone’s lives and just hang out and relax which was amazing!!
Aside from the holidays this break has probably been my favorite one so far. What made this break so special? Well it would have to be my trip to Uganda. I’ve wanted to travel to Uganda since I was in high school and this year I finally made it! Although I was only there for a week, that week has changed my life forever. I was able to work with amazing people and teach classes at an orphanage in the Wakiso district of Uganda. Every day I would wake up and have my “tea” or breakfast and walk to the orphanage with some of the children who had come to pick me up. The walk to the orphanage was amazing and the people are all so friendly, and to the younger children of the community I was simply known as “Mzungu” which translates to white person or foreigner in Luganda (Uganda’s native language). Mzungu is intended to simply get your attention or greet you so if you ever travel to Uganda and hear younger children calling out to you with “Mzungu Mzungu” don’t be alarmed. While at the orphanage I was able to meet the 60 children who called the orphanage home. They are all such amazing kids who are so smart and full of life and I had the privilege of teaching the younger children while I was there. Even though I was there to teach, they were the ones who ended up teaching me. They taught me how precious life really is and to cherish everyday no matter what. These children literally only have the clothes on their backs, they all sleep together in one room on foam mattresses, and some are HIV positive yet everyday they have the biggest smile on their faces and all they want to do is play and enjoy the day. I now realize just how lucky my friends and I are and that I need to appreciate everything in life and not sweat the small stuff. I miss these kids so much already and I can’t wait to go back, especially since I have godchild due in April in Wakiso!!!
P.S. if you’d like to help here is KACCAD( the organization I worked with) info!!
http://www.volunteerkaccad.org/
Santa's Visit with my neice and little cousin
With the most amazing kids I've ever met