Post 1- First Days in Uganda!

As a first-time blogger, I'm not sure who to address these posts to, or if that's even necessary, but I’m optimistic and will pretend that there's someone out there reading this (hi mom and dad)...so...

Dear Anyone and Everyone,

It’s amazing to me that after only 2 days in Kampala, Uganda, I already have so much to report. This will probably be the longest of my posts since I’m including the trip itself, and my first few days. If it seems to drag on, don’t forget I’m here alone on a three-day weekend. If I have anything at all, it’s time. I left on Wednesday, May 25^th from SFO International airport, flew 11 hours to Amsterdam, ran to my next gate, and flew 9 hours to Entebbe, Uganda, stopping briefly in Kigali, Rwanda. I met the most amazing German 20 year old girl on the first leg of my journey, and we talked for four hours straight about as many topics as you can imagine. Meeting other people and hearing about their journeys, where they’re coming from and where they are going, is one of the best parts about sitting in the middle seat between two people you’ve never met and will probably never see again. I arrived in Uganda on Thursday evening and was met at the gate by an Expeditor from the US Embassy. His name was Nono. Nono and I went through customs together, and then headed over to baggage claim where I saw a large piece of posterboard that read, “The following bags were not loaded onto the plane…” I read the list of names just for kicks, and there was my name in lights. SIMONS. For anyone that has been around me the past few months, they know that many of the arrangements for this internship have been out of my control. Whether it was confirming the country I would be serving in, or attempting in vain to make flight arrangements (successfully booked a day and a half before departure) I’ve learned that well, shit happens. Nono seemed pretty relaxed about the whole “you don’t have any luggage” situation, so it was a bit easier to accept that if a flight to Africa is crowded, they might just pluck your bags out of the lot and feel no reason to consult you on the matter. Nono and I left baggage claim with one found bag out of two, and met up with my sponsor, Greg. Greg, an American, and his wife Layla, who is Bosnian, are my sponsors here in Uganda and they both work at the US Embassy. I’ve spent mostly all of my time with them and their two sons, Dino (10) and Benji (2.5), the past two days. They are incredible people and have completely adopted me as another child, but more on that later.

The drive from Entebbe to my house in Kampala was about 40 minutes. Entebbe is right on Lake Victoria, the second largest lake in the world, and Kampala is north from there. In just 40 minutes there were three police checkpoints, but we did not have to stop because the license plates on our car read CD02, which identify us as employees of the US Embassy. I arrived at my house, and although I was told it would be big, I didn’t realize it was essentially a mansion. The house has seven bedrooms, most with their own bathrooms and balconies, sitting room, dining room, TV room, servant’s quarters and beautiful backyard. Since I am the first intern to arrive (I will soon share the house with three other interns) I was directed to the master suite and immediately dropped my backpack like it was a flag meant to stake out my territory. Although I’m alone in this huge house, I feel comforted by the brick walls enclosing the compound, the razor wire decorating the top of the walls, the 24 hour armed guard at my gate, and the panic button next to my bed, that if pressed, will send a screeching alarm to the Marines at the Embassy. As Greg said, “all hell will break loose if you press this button.” I like the thought of that.