Loves and Firsts

Today was my FIRST Sunday here in Uganda.  The ward members are insanely kind and welcoming.  I got into missionary mode when I entered church for some reason.  I kind of got anxiety when I entered the chapel because my mind went crazy with thoughts like, "Who should I sit by?"  "I need to meet someone new and get to know them."  "I cannot sit by a white person."  haha Josh, that came with us for the program, asked how long I'd been home that I still feel that way....umm..2 years. haha Hilarious.

I sat by a cute girl named Esther. Before sacrament meeting even started, a bunch of members came through the aisles and shook hands with all of us.  They're sooo friendly.  It's darling and we felt so welcome in their ward.  It's a pretty tiny ward.  Today a senior missionary couple bore their testimonies because they're going home.  They've been here since the branch started--just two years ago.  I was in awe of how many guys that I met were baptized within the last year and were already planning on serving missions.  They're some of the most kind people that I've ever met.  I just love them so much.

I met this girl named Esther.  I sat by her during sacrament meeting and I think she adopted me a little bit. She wanted to show me all of the rooms in the church and she wanted me to go to young womens with her. haha She's darling and she thinks I'm funny even when I have no idea why. haha Though, she is teaching me Luganda and Lugisu.  I've been trying to pick up those languages and I'm doing okay for how long I've been here.  They're pretty cool languages.  I'm excited to keep learning.

ALSO after the young womens lesson, the Young Women's president came up to me and said, "Oh, Mallory will you teach for us next week?"  haha So yeah...my first week in uganda and I'm teaching young women's next week.  Guess what the lesson is?  Preparation for Eternal Marriage.  Hilarious.  Their eyes always get wide when I tell them I'm 25.  They think I look so young...which I haven't and won't complain about.  

FIRSTS...

I had my first rolex this week.  It's chipati with eggs and vegetables inside.  It was really good.  Apparently they're really cheap on the street but I probably shouldn't eat them too often because I think they make me a little bit sick

Boda boda ride.  I've been nervous about the whole boda boda thing.  Essentially, the streets here (if they're paved) are soooo beat up.  Pot holes the size of moon craters and the sides of the road are deteriorating.  Boda boda's are like the taxi's over here.  They're rickety motorcycles with Ugandan drivers that may or may not have been through driver's training.  You can bargain with them for a price and the women usually ride side-saddle here.  I pull my dress up and straddle the motorcycle because my own safety is more important to me than maintaining dainty status.  I hope I don't offend the Ugandans.  It's not as scary as I thought it'd be but..I've never taken one super long distances before.  We'll see if I have to take one into a far away village if things change.

Bucket shower.  So we're only supposed to have two showers a week.  But if we take a BUCKET shower, then we can shower every day.  And since I want to be jogging every day, a daily shower would be favorable.  So I fill a bucket up half-way with water.  And somehow strategically clean my whole body with it's contents.  And as a grand finale I dump the rest on my head and try not to make any shrills with how cold it is.  It was awesome.  I loved it.

Anywho...I can't remember what else I was going to tell you.  I'm sure you appreciate a shorter post after how much I've been slamming you with how much I love my life and everyone in it.  haha Til next post!

PICTURES--hike to waterfall, darling kids, and Queen Lizzy

So blogspot is being ridiculous.  haha I tried to upload pics from today and they loaded backwards. So...I'll explain what I did today and you can see the pics in reverse.  This morning our country directors were planning on hiking this mountain nearby our house up to a waterfall.  How bizzarre that that's an option of something I can just up and do on a Saturday?  haha I can't believe it.  So I woke up kind of late because I had a hard time sleeping last night.  But I grabbed a quick bite of pineapple, threw a couple of fruit leathers in my camera case, grabbed my water bottle, and we headed out.  Only about half of the group came with us.  The other half stayed at the house, went in to town...stuff like that.  

We had to walk through a couple of little villages on the way to the mountain.  It was really eye-opening. I'm that girl that has to verbalize how much I love the kids every time we pass any.  haha I feel annoying even as I'm doing it but I can't stop.  You'll see. :)

I love hiking.  It kept me sane after my mission and whenever I'm home I like to squeeze a hike into my schedule.  I wasn't planning on this being that intense.  Let's talk about who's naive...haha.  It got pretty steep and I was feeling yucky because I hadn't eaten anything, it was super humid, hot, and I tried to nibble on my fruit leather but thought I'd certainly puke.  Awkward.  But I couldn't complain.  It wasn't a problem.  I'm loving every second of this hike. I'm so happy, but my body is revolting.  I just wanted to throw up so it'd leave me alone but nothing came.  haha Regardless, I loved every second of this day and that hike.  It probably took us a good 2 1/2 hours to get up to the waterfall.  But it was crazy steep and at one point we had to go up this "ladder" (the pictures are going to kill you because I died when I saw it) that villagers go up all of the time.  In fact, people were going up this ladder carrying things on their heads AND with children on their backs.  Who am I to complain?  I just have a water bottle. haha It was the coolest thing.  I was so happy.  But consider yourselves warned.  I do not look like Princess Kate.  My hair is crazy, I'm usually super sweaty and you're just going to have to be okay with that alright?  I have to be okay with it and so do you so...just enjoy African Mal for the next few months. :)

After the "ladder", a bunch of villagers ran past us with machetes on their way down the ladder and told Freddie they were going to kill a tiger that had been eating their cows and stuff.  Is this seriously my life?!  I just want to laugh and take pictures and not forget anything.  It's unreal.  Like did people really sprint past me with machetes on their way to hunt a tiger?!? haha We kept hiking and made it to the waterfall.  on the way there we saw the most darling kids that live on the top of this mountain.  They were all carrying their little siblings on their backs.  I couldn't handle how cute they were.  

Our hike down was awesome.  We stopped at a garden that Freddie is connected with and ate passion fruit and avocado.  Delicious!  I want to live off of fruit.  Then we passed through another village where the children were originally terrified of our cameras and they'd run away when we pulled them out but when we called them over they'd let us take one of them and they LOVED when we'd show them the picture.  They'd all gather their heads around the camera and giggle.  Darling.  I'm literally in love with every person that I meet.

So here are the cute kids we saw in the village on the way down.  The girl in the front right was cracking me up.  She was all about posing.  They're all so sweet.  Do those smiles not just melt your heart?

This was the waterfall that we climbed to.  Everyone in the group started swimming at the pool of water at the top.  It looked sooo nice.  But guess who forgot their swimsuit?  Yeah, this pastey lady.  I was so sad that I forgot it because I wanted to go swimming so bad.  I would have just jumped in with my clothes on but who wants two layers of chaffey goodness on the top and bottom?  Not I. haha I just dipped my feet in and fed some of my banana and sandwich (that Ryan shared with me) to the cute kids with their little siblings on their backs.

These cute kids were at the top of the waterfall with us.  I just kind of ached because I loved them so much.  I fed them some of my banana and half sandwich.  The kids with their siblings on their backs would take some food but always make sure that their little sibling got some too.  I just adore these kids.  They're the sweetest things.

Brace yourself for the "ladder" that we climbed to get to the waterfall.  They're all just branches.   I loved every second of it.  Freddie stayed behind a bit and took a couple of pics because I wanted to be able to remember how awesome it was.  So here are a few pics of us climbing to the top:

Sorry...they're not in sequential order.  This was when we were pretty much at the top, the next one was about half-way to the top.

After we climbed the ladder, we headed to the pool by the waterfall.  This was right before we got there.  These cute kids had been walking for who knows how long and had their little siblings on their backs the entire time.  Adore 'em.

Goodness, sorry these are so out of order.  This is us hiking up to climb the ladder.  You can see that the ladder is up to our right.  That's where we're going to climb.  Bah, it was soo cool!

This was on the way up.  Rebecca is one of our country directors and just a moment before this picture she said, "Does anyone want to hold this snail or lizard?" haha Yeah, snail in one hand and a lizard on her arm.  That happened.

We tried to help you get a grasp of how steep it was at some points but it's difficult to capture.

This is Sam and I on our way through some villages heading to our hike.  That waterfall just over my head...that's where we were hiking.

And here's England.  I realize that I forgot to post so incase you were wanting to see...here are a few pics.  This was right outside of Big Ben....back when I looked less haggard. haha  Our group is quite possibly the most awesome group of people I've ever hung out with at one time.  I scored big time.

Another Big Ben pic.  This is Kelsey, Ashley, me, Kara and Sam.  All gems.  Love every last one.

On our way to Trafalgar Square, we passed the Uganda House.  We were all on a high from having just seen the queen and seeing THIS place...certainly didn't hurt.  It'd be our new home in merely two flights.

After Trafalgar Square we started walking to Buckingham Palace and the queen passed again.  Here she is:

I have more pictures but it takes FOREVER to load them and then I don't know what order they'll show up in so they might be more annoying then cool.  haha I'll add more later for sure.

Last few funny moments from today.  There was a 16 year-old boy named Yassin who was hiking with us and was helping us out whenever it was steep. One time my friend Kelsey said, "How much further to the ladder?" and he said, "Don't ask.  You will be afraid." haha He said it's the same thing when you're eating food.  Just don't ask, you'll be afraid. haha But really, especially hiking and stuff, better to just not ask and keep going.  I liked that.

When we were at the garden, I took a picture with Bryan (he's Ugandan too...I have pictures of these people but I'll post some later) who was holding a stick with a chameleon on it.  I looked at the picture afterward with him and said, "Ugh, I look so white."  He just looked at me and laughed and said, "I look so black." haha It was an awesome moment.

Ivan is another Ugandan that hiked with us.  Oh man, Ugandans are so funny.  I was asking Ivan about his upbringing and stuff.  He's twenty and is going to school in Mbale with Bryan (who's the same age).  I asked what he did as a little kid for fun...like what games they played.  He said that he had three goats and sometimes he and his friends would bring their goats together and they'd "Pretend to graze their goats". haha I seriously died.  We play pretend too, but I just loved that they would gather their goats together and pretend to graze them.  How cute is that?!  Anyway, I'll stop writing...for anyone who's still reading. haha Life's good.

Touching the whitey, local market, and those smiles

Insanity--not the workout, my life.  I'm about to sucker punch you in the face with different blurbs about today that have blown my mind for different reasons.  Here it goes:

• I slept like a ruby jewel last night.  Okay, false.  I really had to go to the bathroom and was feeling nervous about the "if it's yellow, let it mellow" rule so I decided I was going to hold it until morning. haha So besides that, I fell asleep pretty quickly and slept very well.
• This morning, my shower was burrilicious.  First of all, I think I mentioned it a wee bit before, but when you're washing your hair under the cold drizzling water, you're literally looking out an uncurtained window two feet in front of you that has a view of the backyard slash jungle.  (how crazy that my backyard is the jungle!?  I love that.)  I'm less certain, however, about how I feel about random passersby checking out the mzungu nudity that our house is rocking.  While it's kind of awkward, I kind of think it's hilarious.  Who has a little jungle in their backyard and limited privacy?  Kinda cool??  Right?
• Breakfast rocked my world.  Freshly cut pineapple.  I feel like the pineapple back home was a sham because I had even just brushed my teeth and the pineapple was nothing but mouth watering.  Mmmm.  And a fresh banana.  Goodness me, please bless that there's large amounts of fresh african fruit in my future because it's incredible.
• We went on a scavenger hunt that our country directors prepared for us.  It was a solid good time actually.  We had things like, "find the clock tower in town, take a picture with live chickens, find "Happy Market", find the hospital, find out what a rolex is, etc".  It was actually so great.  I've only seen the town from a bus so being able to walk throughout town and actually interact with the people has been marvelous.

 We found the live chickens for the scavenger hunt...in like the back alley of the market place. haha

I love this moment so much.  These guys on the boda boda are transporting that bed frame.  Yes, they literally have it sideways and are driving with it that way.  I was dying. haha
• First thing that I loved is walking to town.  Seriously, I feel like in the States we don't walk anywhere.  But we took like a thirty minute walk into town and I loved every second.  There are no sidewalks, the potholes on the streets are gargantuan, and they drive on the left side of the road here.  
• Originally we didn't get too much attention.  In fact, people didn't really look at us and if they did it was really quick and then they'd look away.  
• Once we got into town things changed.  They're definitely not as aggressive as the people in europe.  But they say "hi, how are you?" but don't follow you or anything.  If you don't want to talk to them or something, they get that and leave you alone.
• The kids are so darling.  I can't even handle how cute they are.  I'm worried that I annoy everyone around me because every time I see little Ugandan kids I start gushing.  They're the cutest things.  At one point during our discovery of Mbale, I felt a human...something...brush my arm.  I turned to look and it was a little kid that has touched my arm and then ran around the corner. haha Yes, I'm actually this color...all the time.  The fascination with it is hilarious to me because while the color of my complexion is frowned upon in the States, it's a touchable fascination to them here.
• It started raining for like 30 minutes in the afternoon.  Everyone just crowds under the canopy's over the markets and waits it out.  We were trying to find the police station (for the scavenger hunt) and we saw a white truck with, not joking, 25 men standing/hanging out of the back of it.  I couldn't even believe it.  We were laughing because it was just so out of the ordinary and random.
• We found a market!!  I love markets!  The one in Florence rocked my world every time I went there.  In fact, I had a hard time not smiling like a git with every cobble stone footstep.  Well this market was cool but sooo not the Florence market.  It was like a block of tiny little wooden booths selling all kind of stuff.  Skirts, jewelry, live chickens, fish that looked like they had been awkwardly lit on fire--I honestly think my poor immune system would be completely a-bombed if I put any part of those in my mouth.  I would have taken pics but it was kind of a sketchy part of town.  
• 
  
• Besides the fact that so many things were really cool about today, a lot of things were so shocking.  I see things that I can't even believe.  I walk by things that are normal to everyone else that are just impossible for me to comprehend. 
•  Passing women who've had polio so they crawl and have shoes on their hands.
•  Little children walking around by themselves barefoot, wearing a simple dress or boys in overalls with no shirt.  
• We saw one woman who had buckets and was collecting the rain and saving it.
• Just mass amounts of poverty.  I can't even describe what I saw and even as I was there seeing it, I couldn't even believe it.  They burn their garbage at night--there are no garbages around town.  It's dirty.  Often times I would watch people walk by, I'd turn and look and see their tiny frame was much smaller and frail than the clothes they were wearing.
• One thing that I found fascinating is that people walk around with very straight faces.  It's almost alarming honestly.  I guess I'm just a very expressive, smiley person but they have very blank expressions--even when they look at you.  But as soon as you smile at them, they smile back and I think I can confidently say that Ugandans--of any age--have the best smiles I've ever seen.  Their smiles light up their entire faces and it's seriously the most beautiful thing I've seen.  I love it.  And I love being here.  

Mzungu, white ants, mosquito net beddin'

Holy smokes.  I actually live in Uganda.  This is websters definition of surreal...and wonderful. :)

So the flight to Kenya was a bit of a doozy.  It was so long and I only slept for like 2 hours.  Seriously, in a period of like 48 hours of travel, I think I slept a total of 6 hours.  haha I haven't been able to sleep.  Right before I took a little nap on my way to Kenya I was starting to get a headache but I woke up two hours later feeling better.  haha  It's ridiculous a little bit.  But it doesn't bother me.  It gives me more time to think and try to process this.

So from Kenya we had like an hour layover and then had an hour flight to Entebbe, Uganda.  That's where we met up with our country directors and 2 crazy cool Ugandans named Sharon and Freddie.  We then proceeded with a 5 hour bus ride on our way to Mbale.

The bus ride was nuts.  (I'm sorry, I wish I had something cooler to say but I don't know other words to express the experience.)  Entebbe is definitely more rural and especially when we drove through Kampala, it was more city-like.  Lots of people, camouflage policemen with massive guns, stuff like that.  The transition from Entebbe to Mbale was the most insane thing to me.

First of all, the transition from rural to urban was so wildly apparent.  Entebbe was big and crowded and more industrialized.  Fast forward four hours into the drive and it was very much like I'd pictured Africa to be like in my mind.  It was crazy.  People working in fields, women and children transporting huge containers of water,  really skinny cows staked out on the side of the road, families legitimately living in cement huts with grass roofs--their home could probably fit in a quarter of our family living room.  It was difficult to watch and take it all in.  I dunno, I've seen this kind of thing on TV but it's unreal being here and seeing it right in front of you.

I guess it just really hit me.  I'm here living like this for four months.  I'm stoked about it.  This is something I've dreamt about for a really long time.  But in a sense, this is like a four month camping trip for me.  It's not my reality.  It will end for me.  But this is everyday life for the people here.  It's not a four-month deal.  I guess I just look at them and see how amazing they are and I just don't get why our everyday lives have to be so drastically different.  They're good, kind people.  It's just difficult for me to make sense of how we're all the same, but our lives are so different from day 1.

I've learned a word in Swahili:  Mzungu.  I asked Freddie if it meant "white people" and he said, "yeah, but they don't mean it in a racist way."  haha And they really don't.  It was kind of hilarious actually, we were driving through these towns/villages and people would stare, but kids (especially in the rural areas) would point at us and say, "Mzungu!"  We'd smile and wave and they'd jump up and down and smile.  It was so darling and kind of hilarious.  Yesterday we were spazing out because we saw the queen in a carriage and today cute kids call to us and are blissfully happy when they see us and especially when we acknowledge them.  Crazy.

Food.  We stopped at a place to break up the bus ride.  Everything you ordered came with three things.  the three that came with mine were matooke, rice and goat stew.  Yeah.  It cost like 4 american dollars and was more than I could eat.  I'll have to go halvsies with someone next time.  Matooke is mashed banana...but it tastes like mashed potatoes.  And the goat stew...I just poured some on the rice and it was good...just strange that I ate goat like it was no big deal.  It has been fascinating watching the people and their interactions with us.  The kids love us. But the adults seem...almost shy.  The waiter was very stand-offish.  He would rarely make eye contact with us.  I watched him standing behind our country director with the check in his hand and you could visibly see him three times getting up the nerve to give her the check.  I just think they're all so darling.  Our guard David is so great too.  He is so kind and happy.  I've only met a couple of Ugandans but thus far they're quick to smile, they laugh with you and are always so polite and kind.  They're lovely people.  I've loved any and all interactions that I've had with them thus far.

Our house is bizzanging.  I mean, I was literally expecting dirt floors and stuff...but we don't have dirt floors!  We have kind of hilariously awkward rules like we can only shower 2 times a week, we can't flush the toilet unless it's numero dos, the room where we shower doesn't have a curtain on the window--just bars, so pretty much anyone can take a gander at our whiteness, just stuff like that.  We just finished getting ready for bed.  I tied my mosquito net to my bed and got it all tucked in so I hopefully won't get eaten alive.  I've been taking my malaria pills like a champ so I hopefully won't catch that doozy.  And we tried a ugandan delicacy tonight--white ants.  Yep, they're fried ants.  Freddie says they just eat them by the handful.  It was okay.  Just kinda salty and crunchy.  And it was bigger than I thought it'd be.  It's mostly the texture that gets to you...that, and actually knowing that you're eating an ant.  Freddie said we also need to try grasshoppers.  He said, "once you have one, you can't stop."  haha We'll see.

Well I'm gonna get some sleep.  Things are going well.  I love it here.  I love the people, I can't wait to pick up more of the language, and figure out some awesome projects so we can start helping people.  In fact, our country directors said they have some projects in the works where two of us would have to go out to a little tiny village and stay there for four days.  That'd be significantly more primitive.  I think it'd be so cool but the pansy in me is wondering how I'd survive without a mosquito net. haha We'll see if I can get in on that project.  I'll keep you posted.  Love you all,
 Mals

4 flights, London layover, spotting royalty

I have so much to say and my apologies are extensive if none of it makes any sense.

I flew to Dallas and had a 30 minute layover until our flight left for London.  The flight wasn't that bad.  Like 9 hours. The lady sitting next to me and I had a nice chat.  She kept asking me to watch her 7 month old baby while she ran to the bathroom. funny.  I only slept for like 2 hours but I don't even care.  I have this weird thing where I kind of honestly think "I'm not going to have jet lag"...and so I won't.  Is it going to work?  I dunno.  It worked in Paris and Rome.  

We get off the flight from London, trample our way through security and leave to check out London--12 hour layover!!  Bless the dear travel agent that gave us a 12 hour layover.  Otherwise we'd four flights in a row and I'd be exhausted and look haggard.  Unfortunately the looking haggard bit isn't really in my control regardless of the length of the layover.  Oh well!

We took the tube.  yeah, like the british metro.  Can I stop and rant for 10 seconds?  I'm pretty sure the entirety of my time in London has been spent nauseated and moaning.  Not because I'm unhappy or sick.  On the contrary, I just realized how much I love love love Europe.  I love it.  I love everything about it.  I love riding the metro (or tube..you darling brits), I love the pretty buildings, window shopping, all of the well dressed men, all of the things to see....all of it!  I've been in complete bliss--trying to soak in every minute because who knows when I'll get more Europe time.  Ugh, if I could ask Santa for a place to live for the rest of my life, it'd be somewhere in Europe.  Dear me, it's not even a touristy place for me.  It's home.  I love it here. Bah, as if I haven't rambled enough about that...just wait!

So, we headed to do the touristy goods.  We took pics with Big Ben (we'd literally been out of the tube for five minutes), were walking to see West Minster Abbey (yes, Will&Kate's wedding spot apparently) and the streets were LINED with people and those darling brits with their red coats and fluffy black hats.  We asked someone what was going on and the policeman said, "the queen is coming."  haha WHAT?!  Yes, just when our layover HAPPENS to be and when we HAPPEN to be in that part of town, the queen herself came by in a little carriage waving like the lady.  We were all dying.  We just went on our way taking pictures and doing hilarious things and as we're walking to Buckingham Palace, the queen just HAPPENS to drive back.  We stopped and took more pics and Prince Harry was trotting a few carriages behind her.  It was hilarious.  I literally walked around all day muttering very profound statements like, "This is absurd!"  "This is insane!" haha Yeah, it felt so unreal.  I still can't believe it happened.  I've been dying laughing all day.  What an awesome awesome start to our trip.  I'll send pics and add the video perhaps when I make it to Uganda.

So two flights down and two more to go.  We're flying to Kenya from here...I think it'll be an 8 hour flight or something.  Then we have a flight to Uganda and then a 4 hour bus ride.  I've been awake for what...apparently was all of your Tuesday and Wednesday morning.  I'm hoping to get some good sleep on the way to Kenya.  Bah, I have missed traveling.  I miss being in a new place, foreing money, foreign languages being spoken everywhere, and the classy people.  Mmm...

ALSO, my cute niece Mya gave me a Lightning McQueen car for the birthday.  She asked me to take it to Uganda and take pictures of it in cool places where I go.  Guess who's the git that forgot it at home?!?  This lass right here.  I've been feeling so sick about it and like the worst aunt on the planet.  So we went to Harrod's here in London which...blew. my. mind.  And I went up to the fourth floor where the toy store is and bought a new one. haha Random purchase but I had to do it here.  i didn't think I'd find one in Africa.  So good news, Lightning McQueen will see Uganda afterall. :) 

Wow, I don't know if any of this makes sense.  I don't really have time to proof read it.  I love you guys.  I'll post more when I get to Uganda.  I can't wait to meet the people.  This all just feels like such a surrel dream.  Did I really just see the Queen of England on my way to live in Uganda for the summer?  This is absurd! haha And I love every minute of it.  I'll post again soon.  Be safe.  Love from England,

Mals

Graduate from college....check!!

This one time I graduated.  It was lovely.  My whole family was so sweet to make the trek to Logan to sit through some really boring speeches and watch me grab a piece of paper from a guy who looks like he belongs in Hogwarts.  Look at how cute they all are:

I sure do love my cute fam.

Here are some Sociology classmates.  I've had a lot of classes with these ladies.  They're all darling in their own right.  Andrea, myself, Rebekah and Barabara.

I snatched up my diploma.  It's official!....in 8 weeks...when my diploma is actually sent to my home. haha  Seriously, can we take a sec to talk about the cap and gown idea?  Who thought of it?  I'd like a word.  It's such a silly get-up.  And who is this chap behind me?  

Really now, School of Witchcraft and Wizardy.  Just awk.  

Momma and Dad

All the sibs!!  Sadie, Aubry, Mya, Glenn, Tate, Kim, Finn, Cod, Mals, Kenzie, Camarie and Ad.  It was awfully sweet of them to all come, have their cute kids miss their naps, and spend the day in Cache Valley.  It meant an awful lot, I tell you, an awful lot.

My brother Adam and I happen to have a solid good time relationship.  When we're asked to take pics together, we do crap like this:

He and Cambam were sweet enough to come home from China to see me graduate.  Darlingness.blogspot.com.  I wish I had more pics with all of my siblings.  There are more but I don't always look like Princess Kate in them....more of a Pippa-esque lass. haha

So I did it!  My undergrad has been completed!  Now it's time to move to a third-world country, make a difference, then come back and work and save for grad school.

It's been so lovely having my whole family here.  It's difficult to process that our time is limited.  I've loved catching up with siblings and playing with my nieces and nephews that are darling beyond belief.  I think about how much they're going to grow.  My nieces and nephews will be so much bigger and talking so much more when I get back.  I think about how strange it's going to be to not be able to talk to my siblings like I do.  No more long phone calls that happen a couple of times a week.  No quick calls home to see how my parents and little sis are doing.  

I think of things that don't matter too.  Silly ways of counting down time.  My last Sunday in the states for a long time.  The last time I'll need to charge my phone...because by the time it dies, I'll be on a flight to Uganda.  My last morning jog with my sister.  Last late night talk with Ad, Cam and Kim.  I hope I don't sound annoyingly sentimental.  I know that I'll be back in just four months.  It's just strange to have to go back to less communication after the mission.  I'm excited out-of-my mind.  I know it'll change my whole life.  But it's strange trying to feel like I'm wrapping stuff up here for the next few months.  I can't wait for this next phase of my life.  It's where I'm supposed to be and what I'm supposed to be doing.  I'll be keeping you posted fo sho.  Get ready for lots of pastey, blonde awkwardness in a land where I don't blend in but love the people to bits.  :)  But in the meantime...I'm a graduated lass!  :)

A list of things that I love...

Well my days in my homeland are numbered so I thought I'd drop you another post really quick...also I don't want to pack and clean. :)  Here are some things that I've loved about my life lately:

• Imagine Dragons.  My roomies are darling and know how much I love that band so they got tickets for my b-day.  We drove down to Salt Lake and they put on yet another incredible show.  They're ridiculous live.  As much as I already love them, my love and respect for them grows when I see them in concert.  Amazing.  
• A massive perk of seeing Imagine Dragons is that I get to see the Sermon clan.  One of my best friends in the world is the little sister of the guitarist in the band.  So at their concerts I always find her so we can dance it up during the concert--always a worthwhile choice.  We've been way good friends since high school, lived together in college, wrote each other during our missions, and maybe almost cry when we see each other.  I love genuinely good friends.
• Speaking of, can I tell you something I adore?  Genuinely good conversations.  Talking about something real with people who care about you and what you have to say.  I have a dear friend up here that is so funny and wonderful and...I just love talking to him.  Mmm...yep, good chats are something that I love because they seem difficult to come by these days.
• I'm reading the Hunger Games right now.  I love it.  I want to bring the whole series to Uganda.  The end.  
• So confession:  sometimes it takes me eleventy years to finish reading books.  I just get distracted or forget that I'm reading it, etc.  It's not awesome on my part.  Well I started Hunger Games....cough...like last summer.  haha Yeah, I know.  When I was opening it to start reading again, I found a plane ticket as my book marker.  I also found a little receipt with the e-mail of a man named Gino that I met on that flight.  He was the coolest guy.  He lives in D.C. and we just had such a fun conversation during the flight.  Books, jogging tips, hiking, etc.  I have a book recommendation list that he wrote for me and I probably should e-mail him before I leave to see how he's doing.  I loved coming across that paper and memory.  
• Besides the fact that my roomies took me to an Imagine Dragons concert for my birthday, (yes, today is the anniversary of my arrival to earth...thanks mom!) they made me a gluten free birthday cake today.  It's apparently my thing to have 8 million food allergies and how sweet of them to work around that eh?  So sweet and thoughtful.
• Umm...I finished my massive portfolio for my senior capstone course (the project that I did teaching the Burmese refugees) and I'm the only one I know of that got an "A" in that class!  I'm not bothered by this news at all.  Not only do I get to graduate college but...my grades are looking dapper.  Pleasing.

Well, I should probably go finish packing and cleaning so that I can move home tomorrow.  I'll try to post another time or two before I ship myself to Uganda....bah!  Loves to you all!