Winding Down

Sorry that it has been a while, I havn't been able to make it much tot he internet, we've been so busy with everything and getting ready to leave, but I will see everyone soon! We went to Kitgum this past Saturday-took a 2 hour bus ride to visit a host sister who is at boarding school and to say goodbye to her. It's been really weird starting the goodbyes. We've just had to make a list and each day go visit someone else... Just outside Kitgum is where my host dad is from, so we took a bus there and met all of his family, and then got a ride back to Gulu with him.

Other than that, it's been the same things. Town is about 45 minutes walking so we go to town everyday to pick some fresh vegetables and fruits, and then usually take a long route home, which is about another hour and a half. The days have been going by so quickly, I really don't know where the time is going. This week especially, trying to say goodbye to people and get all of our last minute things done. We spent all of Monday roasting groundnuts to peeling and sorting them to grind with this other seed to make this paste called oddi. We've also ground and made millet flour, and we are making a few other things to bring home with us! So everyone be excited to have some little treats. Tomorrow we are having a big wabinen cok cok (see you soon) dinner, so we will be cooking all day tomorrow, and then Friday just finishing up packing and saying our last goodbyes. Saturday, we are catching an early bus and spending Saturday and Sunday in Kampala, and then leaving early morning monday to go catch our flight. After two days fo traveling I will be back in Seattle on Tuesday night!

I will probably do one more final wrap up post when I get home, but until then, this is it!!

Peace and Love,
Michelle

Living in Gulu

We have been back in Gulu now for two weeks, and the time is going by so fast! We have kept ourselves really busy, and I don't know where the days are going. The daughter living at home went to boarding school last Friday, so we spent most of last week helping her prepare for school. Since she was leaving, the family was teaching us how to cook everything so we could take care of the house during the day. I've learned how to cook most of the local dishes on my own, even using the charcoal stove. We took all of the jerry cans to the pump today and filled and carried them back to the house-I think that they were suprised that we managed.

I've really settled myself into a routine here and it's been such a different experience not being with the program and tied down. We went to the villages of where the host parents grew up. It was so beautiful and quiet, I'm glad I was able to go out and visit those places. I've also gone and visited back with the family that I lived with-they are all doing well.

Other than that-we have just been walking around all day, doing laundry and dishes and cooking. I feel like I am at home here-enjoying my time, relaxing, and just living. It's getting weird though, so think that in two and a half weeks we will be leaving to go back down to Kampala to catch our plane back home...It's difficult just getting settled somewhere for a couple of weeks, learning the language, making relationships, and then leaving, and not knowing when I will be back here.