Why Peace Corps?

            I leave in exactly one week, so I'm finally making my first blog post!  I thought it might be a good idea to start off by answering the question many of you have asked me, “How can you go back to Africa for two years?”  A lot of you read my emails during my study abroad in Kenya; so I know that you are all referring to some of my not so pleasant stories.  A house filled with cockroaches and a rat the size of a cat, showers from a bucket, bed bugs, getting mugged and multiple hospital visits due to various bacterial infections.  Needless to say, these are not the reasons why I am returning to Africa.  I am not sure if I can accurately express in words why I chose the Peace Corps and why I am so excited to live in Uganda for two years, but I will do my best.
            My four months in Kenya were truly some of the best times of my life; to be able to live and work in a different country was priceless.  I always felt, however, that my time there had been too short, and I didn’t have the opportunity to truly take advantage of my experience.  I left just as I was finally starting to understand the language, culture and what was expected of me at my internship.  I looked into the Peace Corps because I wanted the same sort of experience, but for a longer period of time.  I think that one can learn a lot from working with people of different cultures and backgrounds.  I hope that I will be able to accurately relay everything that I learn and experience so that those reading this will come to realize there is more to Uganda than poverty and an HIV/AIDS epidemic.
            So, how can I “rough” it for two years?  Well, I look at it like this - I have the opportunity to live in Uganda for two years, to travel to different parts of the world and to help those in need - in the grand scheme of things, taking a bucket shower just doesn’t seem all that bad.  Millions of people live like this for their whole lives; it’s not going to kill me to do it for two years.  I also have the luxury of knowing it’s not permanent, and I can come home to my soy latte at Starbucks and a gourmet meal cooked by mom.  At the end of the day, I know that I’m going to have to find the humor in the bad situations and just roll with the punches.
            Everyone has begged me to please be careful, and I promise that I will.  I will not aimlessly walk into a prison like the last time I was in Uganda or take a short cut home through the woods at night (while texting, of course).  I have been taking Krav Maga self defense, so hopefully I will do a little more than scream at the top of my lungs if I do get jumped from behind, again. 
            I am going to miss everyone and saying my goodbyes has not been easy.  I will do my best at updating this blog and responding to emails while I am away.  I’m not sure how my Internet access will be when I arrive in Uganda, so it may be a while until you hear from me.  I love you all!