Well, the day finally came after nearly a year and a half of thinking, planning, talking, and hypothesizing! Around 4:30pm, my mom and dad kissed me goodbye at the airport, and I was officially on my way to living life in Uganda. It was surreal and I was all jitters, feeling like I was on the slow rising ascent of a rollercoaster, just waiting in anticipation for what is to come. It's a strange feeling getting on a plane when your destination is an open book. As I checked my 70 lb bags at the airport (after the attendant questioned whether I could travel without a Ugandan visa… I can), I knew there was no turning back, and was both filled with exhilaration and, to be honest, panic.
There was the excitement of adventure - exploring a life that you know virtually nothing about. Meeting new friends, walking down roads you could never find in the US, or finally building up enough gut stamina to eat street food. Then there is the fear that I won’t meet any real friends, will be accosted on the unfamiliar streets, or may hate the street food. Please God, no bugs!
With all of my thoughts playing on each other, I had a tough time sleeping on the plane. But fortunately, I was sitting next to a kid from Rutgers who was visiting his brother-in-law in Stuttgart, Germany before he deployed. He was a Bio major, but from the way he spoke, you would think he was an engineer. Right to the point and a fun-loving nerd. Perfect familiar company for me! When he eventually began watching a movie, I found “When Harry Met Sally,” and settled into the smooth flight with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. Uganda may be pretty far from NYC, but just like them, I was on my way to pursuing my dreams in a new city.
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