The Storm.

From the tropical Ugandan rain showers to the floods of New York's Hurricane Irene I have literally gone from one storm to the next. After a weekend trip to Jinja, Uganda, then a full day of flying across continents and through time zones, and finally a shuttle bus from the New York City airport up to Albany I eventually found myself in the comfort of my parents home. The jet-lag followed close behind as I enjoyed the ease and comforts of my parents clean house, washing machine, home cooking, and lots of attention. My final weeks in Kampala were a mash-up of wrapping up work projects, a going away party at always packed dive bar, a much needed trip to Jinja, a final dinner with good friends, and of course, one overly emotional goodbye at the Entebbe airport at 3:30am. As I passed through the luggage check and stopped by the Ugandan customs counter at 4am the overly energetic immigration officer told me that he was sad to see me leave and would welcome me back at anytime. This customary friendliness was all the reassurance I needed to move forward and realize that once again this wasn't a final goodbye, but merely another stamp to add to my crowded passport.

The tears didn't come immediately as they had in the past, not until I was flying over the Egyptian deserts did I feel a pang of loneliness, which I knew would pass with time. Luckily, I slept the second leg of my journey, a 13 hour flight from Egypt to NYC, and arrived in a daze.

My three months in Uganda, in combination with the expansive time I had spent there over the past 6 years, were extremely rewarding. My internship with the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) research, and my time living with Isaac and other friends, was interesting and comfortable. My colleagues at the internship were some of the warmest and most knowledgeable people I had ever met, and I will miss them immensely. They taught me so much about PMTCT, clinical research, community outreach, and more about Uganda than I had ever known.

My time with Isaac was of course, way too short, but until I finish school, the next chapter of our relationship will have to exist via phone, texts, skype, email, and every other possible form of transnational communication. There's the old saying that "If it's meant to be it will be" but I believe that if it is meant to be then both people will work very hard to make it be. Life is not easy. I have seen people struggling to survive with the bare minimum, and those who have it all yet fight within themselves. I wish I had the answers and knew how to overcome the tough times, but until I do, I will just try my best to be grateful for those things that inspire me, and keep the people I love close to me, whether it be in-person or in spirit.

Next week I will be visiting my sister and brother in the beautiful Portland, Oregon...then it's time to head back to New York City!