One Day I'll Wake Up

This is not a dream. This is not a dream. This is not a dream. This is my life.

Have you ever had to tell yourself that? In good situations and in bad- that what is happening around you is actually real.

Well I’m saying it now, but for me it’s the good kind of realization. And for that I am grateful
If you’ve been reading then you know I’m living in northern Uganda- Gulu to be exact. This journey started in January and sadly it is coming to an end soon. And by soon I mean mid-July.

I looked at the calendar today and I have a little less than 8 weeks … see I know what you’re saying, “8 weeks? That’s a really long time” … and my reply would be along the lines of, “not when you’ve been here for months” … “and not when you can’t even count how many things you’ll miss between the time you leave and the time you return”

…

I ate dinner alone tonight. I met up with the crew (Erin, Dustyn, Rachel, Whitney and friends Jeff and Sam) for dinner at a traditional foot spot called Tofique- But I left to eat at Mealtime because Tofique was finished with a lot of the dishes I actually eat.

Which leads me to tell you some of the things I will miss the most:

Malakwang and sweet potatoes! traditional beans and rice, rolex, chapatti and motoke, roasted corn, the chicken. Oh the FRUIT: bananas, pineapple, mangos and apples. Yes, I can get these fruits in the States but they taste so much better here :)

I’ll miss the Gulu market, the evening sunsets, the neighbors children running up to touch my hand and occasionally walk me to the road.

I’ll miss the stars because you can see them so well versus back in Knoxville or Memphis. I’ll miss the moon which lighted the sometimes difficult path back to our house at night.

I’ll miss the landscape … the beautiful beautiful landscape. The majesty of the Nile, the vibrant green hills.

I’ll miss riding on bodas

I’ll miss traveling … to the village, to Kampala to Kitgum. I’ll miss the fresh air outside of town. I’ll miss the people- all the people I’ve met and their stories.

I’ll miss, I’ll miss, I’ll miss and keep missing until I return

However, things I will not miss: the bad roads (but I’m sure every Ugandan would say the same thing), the jeering men & extreme change in weather (hot or rainy- take your pick)
…

So as I walked back to our apartment from dinner at Mealtime I told myself, “this is quite in fact a dream- a very vivid dream” and I congratulated my conscience for crafting such a detailed and magnificent dream. The walk home made me think about how much I’ll miss the cool night and the breeze as well.

I know that for about 8 more weeks I’ll get to wake up here in my second home. A place that is so real that I think it’s a dream sometimes.

For months now, I’ve been planning how and when I’ll be coming back. I'm hoping next summer. Because I know that one day I’ll wake up …

and I won’t be in Uganda anymore.