Greetings from Uganda !
I thought I would do a short and sweet post just to let everyone know that we have arrived in Uganda safe and sound. It's been a very busy few days for all of us and we have just started to settle in and adjust to our new lifestyle. I'm sure I can speak for everyone when I say that we have already had some amazing experiences and I'll let everyone share with you their own adventures. Please check back and we will be updating the blog often once we get our regular internet connection, which should be in the next few days !
Welaba ! ( Goodbye)
Monday, 18 April 2011
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Leaving Tomorrow....(Melissa)
It feels surreal that tomorrow I will be leaving on a trip I have been looking forward to for a long time. I am feeling very thankful to have this opportunity to learn from this experience and from the people of Uganda. I am looking forward to meeting new people and growing as a person. What to come in the next ten weeks is unknown and all I can do is embrace it.
Thank You to everyone involved in the Uganda project for there hard work to make this trip possible.
Thank You to everyone involved in the Uganda project for there hard work to make this trip possible.
Monday, 11 April 2011
2 days till take off!!!! (Chera)
I found out I was going to Uganda last July of 2010. Since then, the incredible vision of spending two and a half months in Masaka, Uganda has occupied my mind and has been the main topic of daily conversations. But all the while I felt like it was a distant dream, something I would one day do but had plenty of time to prepare. Now here I am two days before take off and I still feel like it's a dream! I think it still feels like a dream because it truly has been a dream of mine for many years. It has been difficult to comprehend that my dream has actually come true. I feel so blessed to have been given such an amazing opportunity, an opportunity of a lifetime really. My life will be enhanced in so many ways which is incredibly exciting (and perhaps a little scary too?).
Unfortunately, I can not say that I feel totally prepared. I have been trying to prepare by creating countless lists of things to do and things I need for the trip, but each day I add more to these lists and wonder if it will ever end? As the days count down, I have started to shift my view to accepting I have all that I need. Perhaps the lists were just a distraction anyway. So here we go...my next blog entry will be from Masaka, Uganda! It's not a dream!
I'd also like to send out a heart felt THANK YOU to all who have made this dream of mine a reality:
Douglas College, Bob S., Janice S., Julie R, John F., Diana S.my family/friends, and the Therapeutic Recreation department including all of my amazing classmates who have been my main supporters throughout the year. I'd also like to thank Sheila, Cheri, and Teresa from Sunnyhill, Dorothy from ARCUS, and Dianne from the Dr.Peter Centre for sharing their knowledge and allowing me to observe/volunteer at their sites during the past three weeks.
Unfortunately, I can not say that I feel totally prepared. I have been trying to prepare by creating countless lists of things to do and things I need for the trip, but each day I add more to these lists and wonder if it will ever end? As the days count down, I have started to shift my view to accepting I have all that I need. Perhaps the lists were just a distraction anyway. So here we go...my next blog entry will be from Masaka, Uganda! It's not a dream!
I'd also like to send out a heart felt THANK YOU to all who have made this dream of mine a reality:
Douglas College, Bob S., Janice S., Julie R, John F., Diana S.my family/friends, and the Therapeutic Recreation department including all of my amazing classmates who have been my main supporters throughout the year. I'd also like to thank Sheila, Cheri, and Teresa from Sunnyhill, Dorothy from ARCUS, and Dianne from the Dr.Peter Centre for sharing their knowledge and allowing me to observe/volunteer at their sites during the past three weeks.
It's real... (Cole)
Hi everyone, only two more days till we leave. The reality of leaving is finally setting in for myself. I almost couldn't believe that i was going until this weekend came around. Now as a i packed my bag today it definitely feels real. It feels sad to leave but exciting to gain new life experiences as well as grow as an Early Childhood Educator.
More writing to follow soon.
-Cole.
More writing to follow soon.
-Cole.
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Almost time to board a jet plane... (Kayla)
We're officially 7 days away from departure and I'm sitting here wondering how did it arrive here so fast?! The concept of going to Uganda has felt like a distant destination that will never arrive and now I'll be there next Friday! Time flys by way too quickly in my life, it feels like just yesterday I was in my first class in the Community Social Service Worker Program. With the goal of completing that program almost accomplished, I find myself staring into what will be the most challenging part of program, my last two practicums in Uganda. I say challenging because I really like predicatabiliy. I enjoy planning my future because if I do so, I'll know what to expect and can prepare myself for it. This experience is about being out of my comfort zone and change. All vulnerable places to be for me but a great situation because only growth will happen if I overcome those feelings.
Not only do I have 8 daunting "to-do" lists but mentally, I feel like the reality that I'm actually going away somewhere hasn't set in just yet. Each day leading up to our departure is filled with saying my good bye's with family and friends. Although people go away for a lot longer than we are, my travelling record boasts all of Smithers and Las Vegas. With the longest period of 2 weeks for me being away from my family and friends. I have to admit that I've mostly been feeling anxious about our trip but there's definitely an element of excitement starting to set in. I can't say that I've ever built up the courage to go on an adventure and experience something so different than home and I think my nervousness really stems from leaving my boyfriend, family and friends behind. However, I just remember what someone told me when she said that when I return, everything will be the same but I'll see it all different. Knowing that an experience could be that powerful on someone's worldview is fascinating to me. My goal when joining this project was to really widen my worldview and enhance my understanding of another other culture. Being in Uganda, I hope I'm able to really focus on the present for once and soak up as much of my surroundings as possible. I believe whole heartedly that my time in Uganda will enrich my life perspectives and transfom my life forever.
I hope you'll follow my team and I as we embark on this journey and share our experiences with you. I want to thank Bob, John, Diana, Janice, all the other faculty, my family, Chris and his family, my friends, my peers and everyone else that has been there along the way. Without your guidance, love and support I wouldn't be here so thank you! Just know next time you read a post from me....I'll be in Uganda !!!!
- Kayla
Not only do I have 8 daunting "to-do" lists but mentally, I feel like the reality that I'm actually going away somewhere hasn't set in just yet. Each day leading up to our departure is filled with saying my good bye's with family and friends. Although people go away for a lot longer than we are, my travelling record boasts all of Smithers and Las Vegas. With the longest period of 2 weeks for me being away from my family and friends. I have to admit that I've mostly been feeling anxious about our trip but there's definitely an element of excitement starting to set in. I can't say that I've ever built up the courage to go on an adventure and experience something so different than home and I think my nervousness really stems from leaving my boyfriend, family and friends behind. However, I just remember what someone told me when she said that when I return, everything will be the same but I'll see it all different. Knowing that an experience could be that powerful on someone's worldview is fascinating to me. My goal when joining this project was to really widen my worldview and enhance my understanding of another other culture. Being in Uganda, I hope I'm able to really focus on the present for once and soak up as much of my surroundings as possible. I believe whole heartedly that my time in Uganda will enrich my life perspectives and transfom my life forever.
I hope you'll follow my team and I as we embark on this journey and share our experiences with you. I want to thank Bob, John, Diana, Janice, all the other faculty, my family, Chris and his family, my friends, my peers and everyone else that has been there along the way. Without your guidance, love and support I wouldn't be here so thank you! Just know next time you read a post from me....I'll be in Uganda !!!!
- Kayla
Friday, 1 April 2011
The countdown continues ... 12 days (Chelsea)
I can't believe it. We leave in less then two weeks. Somehow time has snuck up on me, after a year of preparing and waiting for April to come. Here it is, April 1st. I feel like I still have way too many things to do and not enough time to do it. Maybe I'm feeling overwhelmed by it all suddenly becoming real. I'm not too sure. I know I'm excited and I know I'm anxious (8.5, 7 today Bob).
I can't wait for this adventure to begin and as many of my friends and family know, over the past year I have been feeling like my life has been on hold. I am trilled to taking this next exciting step in my education and in my life. I have extremely high hopes for this adventure. After 5 years of university preparing myself for what I thought was my ultimate goal (a PhD in Clinical psychology), I found myself uninspired and unsure about committing myself to any particular research question (and another 6-9 years or research). So the last few years and Douglas' CODS (co-occurring disorders) program have been about my continued learning, enhancing my skills and knowledge as well as the very difficult and slightly vague goal of 'finding myself'. So I'm banking on being inspired and finding direction during my time away (maybe even finding the elusive 'self' that I have been looking for). I have only heard amazing things from people who have traveled and worked in Africa. I am so excited to learn and see perspectives about life and the world that are so different from my own. In light of this pressure that I'm putting on this practicum and myself, I am going to be constantly reminding myself to remain present, keep my eyes, ears and heart open and truely experience Africa as it presents itself. I am ready and open for the trials, tribulations and amazingness that await just a week and a handful of days away (that's what I keep telling myself).
I want to thank my family and friends for their continued support. It means the world to me. So this is me (I make up words, can't spell and love to use brackets for side-notes/random related Chelsea thoughts). I'm signing off for now. I'm holding my going away/belated birthday party tonight because I'm packing up my place next weekend (oh my goodness.... so little time... just keep smiling). Hopefully, I do not cry too much. Love you all. I hope life is treating you well.
Until next time....
I can't wait for this adventure to begin and as many of my friends and family know, over the past year I have been feeling like my life has been on hold. I am trilled to taking this next exciting step in my education and in my life. I have extremely high hopes for this adventure. After 5 years of university preparing myself for what I thought was my ultimate goal (a PhD in Clinical psychology), I found myself uninspired and unsure about committing myself to any particular research question (and another 6-9 years or research). So the last few years and Douglas' CODS (co-occurring disorders) program have been about my continued learning, enhancing my skills and knowledge as well as the very difficult and slightly vague goal of 'finding myself'. So I'm banking on being inspired and finding direction during my time away (maybe even finding the elusive 'self' that I have been looking for). I have only heard amazing things from people who have traveled and worked in Africa. I am so excited to learn and see perspectives about life and the world that are so different from my own. In light of this pressure that I'm putting on this practicum and myself, I am going to be constantly reminding myself to remain present, keep my eyes, ears and heart open and truely experience Africa as it presents itself. I am ready and open for the trials, tribulations and amazingness that await just a week and a handful of days away (that's what I keep telling myself).
I want to thank my family and friends for their continued support. It means the world to me. So this is me (I make up words, can't spell and love to use brackets for side-notes/random related Chelsea thoughts). I'm signing off for now. I'm holding my going away/belated birthday party tonight because I'm packing up my place next weekend (oh my goodness.... so little time... just keep smiling). Hopefully, I do not cry too much. Love you all. I hope life is treating you well.
Until next time....
Thursday, 31 March 2011
childhood dream about to be fulfilled.... (Lorna)
It is really starting to freak me out....that this dream Ive had for as long as I can remember - is about to become a reality!! I keep thinking it is a dream...or that something will happen to change it...and maybe a few things could have caused me to do so but NO!! This is for REAL and I must go forward!! In less than 2 weeks, I will be in Africa - UGANDA to be exact - and I will have fulfilled a dream Ive had for over 40 years (yes, I'm aging myself) but - WOW~!! You see, if you believe - and work hard, and truly know that it is destiny....it can be a reality - in the words of one of my favourite quotes from Winston Churchill, “Never, never, never, never give up.”
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