Uganda

After Nairobi, Kirsten and I got on a bus to Kampala. It was a thirteen hour bus ride, but we enjoyed every second of it. My eyes were just glued outside the window…staring at the African countryside. We crossed the border into Uganda and the whole thing just felt so surreal. It was nice to spend some time with Kirsten and debrief the experiences that we had both had in Africa up to that point. I think a highpoint was right as the sun was setting. Kirsten and I were just staring out the window and listening to inspiring music. It was one of those moments when I realized that I am living my dreams here…and it all just sunk in! When we arrived in Kampala, Kirsten and I met up with two Vanderbilt students who are working there, Nick and Michael. It was crazy to just show up in a city in Uganda and have friends waiting with open arms! We went to dinner with Nick and Michael and just shared stories of our experiences.

Kirsten and I spent the next morning in Kampala just exploring and experiencing the city. I was completely mesmerized, the city is crowded and busy and beautiful! We then got on a bus to Fort Portal—which is the city where Kirsten was working in Uganda. The drive was gorgeous. Fort Portal is in a very rural part of Uganda and it was so different there. I got to see the school that she worked at, meet all of the teachers, and just spend some time appreciating this place that Kirsten loved. The school is called Kassisi School and there have been several fundraisers held at Vanderbilt for it. It was crazy to just sit and remind myself that I was in Uganda visiting this incredible organization. We rode motorbikes (called boda bodas) back to where Kirsten was staying, and the ride was absolutely gorgeous. The sun had set, there was a full moon, and I just felt so grateful for the incredible experience I was having in the middle of Africa with one of my best friends!