Island Lyfe

I’ve spent one week on this island and already so much has changed. The island seems to have grown. What felt so small when we first landed and took a tour now feels much larger.

This place is filled with interesting people.

There’s Rachel. She’s my co-worker, travel buddy, support system and spider-killing extraordinaire. We finally had a chance to clean our house today. No-joke, we probably killed 70 spiders… and that’s after a week of killing spiders every single day. If you aren’t a spider-lover and ever need somebody to kill a spider for you, you can just give us a ring. There was also the cockroach I found on my toothbrush. That was a really fun moment… no, I did not brush my teeth that day.

There are our Uganda co-workers. They are excellent chefs and can whip up a large assortment of incredibly delicious crayfish (aka crawfish) dishes. After learning to love crawfish in Texas it’s pretty sweet to be in the one place in Uganda that has crawfish. Unfortunately I’ll be avoiding those for the next six months as they don’t seem to be quite as tame as the Texas variety. I would go into detail… but nobody wants that ;). The staff here are also incredible language teachers- even when I’m a terrible student. I think I’ve learned five phrases. I’ve got a long way to go till I’ll be fluent in Rukiga and a true Bakiga lady. Evas loves to tell us we’re already Bakiga ladies. I’ve got a long way to go till I’ll be able to claim that title for myself. They are also great tour guides- always willing to lend a helping hand and tell us about the history of this area, the island we’re on, and their own families and villages. Have you ever met somebody and very quickly known they were wise? Enos is the resident carpenter, maintenance man and bird expert. I can’t wait to hear more of his stories and take his bird tour. He has spotted over 80 types of birds just on this island.

There are the guests. It has only been one week and we’ve met diplomats, European tourists, and an American midwife and her family that are working only a couple hours away. We might visit them at some point as they also run a guest house and live near the mountain gorillas. It’s interesting to be in such a rural setting but to see so many people traveling through. I’m looking forward to meeting more people from all over the world!

I think all these interesting people are the reason the island seems to have grown. We aren’t as isolated here as we might have felt when we first arrived. There are so many stories to listen to and people to learn from. I should probably also mention that there’s plenty of work to do! This past week was fairly slow but we’ve already got a better idea of what we should be doing.

P.S. If you’re the letter writing type I would love to receive some love in the form of written words! You can send letters to Bushara Island Camp PO 794, Kabale, Uganda. They’ll only take about three months to reach me J

Photo Cred: Raquelle Dehaanee

Mixed Emotions

I start work this week.

Remember how you felt on your first day of work at your current job?

If you’re anything like me you were probably excited but also scared. You probably felt both negative and positive emotions as you prepared to step into your new position.

You might think that starting a job on an island on the third deepest lake in the world would be piece of cake but, believe it or not, it also carries both fear and excitement.

I’m scared that I might not meet people’s expectations. I’m scared that I don’t have the energy need to truly engage in cross-cultural relationships. I’m scared that I’m not mentally prepared for six months in this rural setting.

I’m excited to learn more about eco-tourism and to put my past experience to use. I’m excited to apply the things I learned throughout university. I’m excited to spend six months on this peaceful island. I’m excited to learn how to make local food and learn some of the local language. I'm excited by this opportunity to become a part of such a close-knit community.

In the words of a wise friend, “Don’t worry so much about where you’ll end up. You’ll get there eventually. And don’t be afraid to let the people in, even if it’s only a season – though our hearts break because they are in pieces around the world, they’re better off than not being there at all. Our hearts weren’t made for us to hold onto.”

Cold Showers

 The world is a huge place and I feel so honored by the opportunity to return to someplace so far away. We spent over 27 hours traveling and we’re not even at our final destination. Right now I’m just sitting here in awe of the fact that two days ago I was in Victoria, BC and now I’m half an hour from Lake Victoria. 

I had forgotten about so much of this country’s beauty.

Red dirt, vibrant green, birds squawking at 6am, cold showers.

I want to instantly remember everything I knew when I left this country two years ago but, unfortunately, my memory isn’t quite that good.

I’m going to have to spend the next couple months relearning basic phrases and remembering to slow down.

This stuff makes me feel so alive. Which is weird because it’s actually really exhausting. My brain can’t categorize the things I’m seeing, smelling, hearing, and feeling. It’s great…. But did I mention exhausting?

So here’s to six months of learning. Six months of new experiences. Six months of red dirt, vibrant green, birds squawking at 6am and cold showers.

The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know...

I don't know who first said that but I imagine people have been saying it, in some way or another, for thousands of years.

I'm currently the midst of a very intense briefing. By the end of this week we will have spent 8+ hours in the classroom every day for 12 consecutive days. So far we have talked about everything from flies embedding their larvae in your skin to the Sustainable Development Goals. We have discussed personal experiences, broad and somewhat theoretical methodologies, and we have participated in activities that helped me to realize how passionate I am about seeking justice. It has been incredible.

When you're not in an educational environment on a regular basis it is very easy to forget about learning. It's easy to forget how little you know. Most of all, for me, it's easy to forget that learning more is worthwhile.

I have to be honest. I tend towards laziness when it comes to learning. I learn what I need to learn when I need to learn it. I am not a keener. http://www.bbc.com/news/world is very rarely in my browser history. I might read slightly more than the average person my age... but that generally only happens when I don't have access to wifi. I like mindless youtube videos. I often mention that I should look things up (this happened at least three times today). I almost never actually research anything.

I tend to think that if I know enough to complete the basic tasks put in front me then I'm doing alright.

Well, this week has been a kind reminder that learning really is worthwhile. I don't want to be the person among my peers that has no idea what is happening in the world. I don't want to think the education is only about moving up in the world.

Learning is not a waste.

Back to Bunyonyi

As I write this I'm sitting on the ferry. I’ve just started what I can only assume will be one of the biggest adventures of my life so far. I’m headed to Victoria to begin 12 days of intensive training before I head to Uganda for six months. I have very little idea what the next six months will hold but I can’t wait to live them. I’m hoping that some of you will be able to experience a little of what I’m experiencing through reading this blog over the next couple months. 

I guess that means I should clarify what I’m actually going to be doing and where I'm going.

I am going to be interning with Victoria International Development Education Association (VIDEA) through one of their partner organizations, Lake Bunyonyi Development Company (LBDC).

LBDC was created to address the environmental impact of farming around Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda, near the border of Rwanda. I will be filling the position of Ecotourism Project Officer. I’ll be helping with planning and management of Bushara Island Camp- an environmentally sensitive community-based ecotourism project.

My role there will involve providing tours to visitors, developing promotional materials, providing training to local students who are studying hospitality, helping to develop workshops in sustainable development and resource management, conducting HIV/AIDS workshops, and working as an ambassador for VIDEA.

While I’m there I’ll be sponsored by Global Affairs Canada through the international youth internship program.

I’ll be living on a small island on one of the deepest lakes in Africa and I’ve got a slackline and inner tube in my suitcase so have no fear… there are blogs coming that won’t be quite this monotonous.