Eucharisteo II

Last October, I was going through some of my old documents, photos, and videos from high school.  It was incredibly nostalgic (and extremely embarrassing) to see my world as a teenager.  While reminiscing my teen years, I found a bucket list in which I had started to write out 100 things I would like to do before I die, but I hadn’t quite finished.  My teenage mind had conjured some basic and interesting goals, but I was surprised to see that I had wrote “join the Peace Corps” somewhere amongst them because I don’t ever remember being interested in joining Peace Corps until three years ago after my semester abroad.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that maybe it shouldn’t have shocked me…because maybe there are some things in life we find our way back to even when the original idea leave our conscious minds.

I don’t think that my teenage self would have ever predicted that I would make it this far.  These last few months in Uganda has me feeling like I live in this strange space, a place where time is concurrently suspended and ever-changing.  There have been so many days when I wondered if my Peace Corps service would ever end and still other moments when I am amazed that so little days remain in my service.  Now here I am, at the cusp of the end of Peace Corps and the beginning of my return to America, and it feels very surreal.  It doesn’t possibly seem like the end could be here and it has me feeling everything from pure excitement to sheer terror to simple sadness in any given hour.  The most overwhelming feeling that overcomes me, however, is gratitude, more than words can express, for my time in Uganda as a Peace Corps volunteer. 

 When I ended my USP semester three years ago, I wrote out a “Eucharisteo” list with all of the big and small moments and people that had made my time in Uganda so special for which I was eternally grateful.  Throughout my service, I tried (and mostly failed) to write down these similar eucharisteo moments.  Two years is much longer than four months, so here is some of what I am thankful for during my 2016-2018 Peace Corps service in Uganda. 

Eucharisteo Part II (Peace Corps edition):

·         Ice water bottles in the supermarket

·         Half priced baked goods on Saturday evenings and cinnamon rolls on Sunday mornings

·         Aerosol courage (a.k.a. insecticide) to kill all of the creatures, especially (HUGE or flying) cockroaches

·         People who show up consistently and willingly

·         A steady “income” every month and not wondering about my next pay check

·         Joseph, my Peace Corps champion, for going above and beyond to support me

·         No longer sharing power with my neighbors

·         Sweet greetings from little friends

·         Gaining self-confidence

·         Learning the art of letting go and trusting the process

·         CHEF GRIFFINO, my rolex culinary expert, who knows exactly how to make the best rolex and isn’t afraid to experiment with his cooking

·         Meeting other expats and learning about their work

·         Days spent with Romeo (my dog BFF) and getting to know his great family

·         Electric fans, especially at night during dry season

·         Being able to use blankets to get cozy in the chilly night air

·         Chocolate

·         Developing a strong sense of self-awareness

·         Every care package that provided serious sustenance and helped alleviate cravings

·         Travelling within my Peace Corps budget

·         Vacations and trainings that gave me breaks away from site

·         Watching mama kitty’s baby kittens

·         Can I get a KILO?!

·         Expanding my understanding of the world

·         NACHOS…and all of the other amazing food in Kampala (thank you)

·         Jean Marie, the best Peace Corps language trainer, for putting up with me and connecting with me to do work over a year later

·         The Instagram story feature to showcase my creative, comedic side

·         People who weren’t interested in ripping me off

·         Easy access to anything I really needed (and so much more that I wanted)

·         An excellent data signal

·         A smart phone to connect online when my laptops failed on me

·         My laptops failing on me

·         Freshly fried cow pea samosas

·         All the cute puppies

·         Snorkeling in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Zanzibar

·         My sister’s super fabulous, fun-time visit

·         Cold fruity sodas in glass bottles

·         All of the new foods that I have tried and come to enjoy

·         My mom (and dad) for listening to all of my complaints

·         Zumba sessions in my room

·         My crazy Peace Corps dreams (literal and figurative)

·         Staying safe while traveling

·         Being forced outside of my comfort zone

·         Sleeping in on rainy mornings 

·         Hiking gone wrong in Fort Portal

·         The Peace Corps office complete with computer and WiFi

·         Successfully handling too many dead animals on my own

·         The clinic woman who was kind to me during my hot-mess-blood-test moment

·         Random invitations to join neighborhood friends for lunch

·         Every single tear and every single smile

·         Recovering from crazy bouts of illness

·         The way Mona loves me

·         The cute little lizards smaller than my pinky finger

·         Amazing cake

·         The bongas shared between me and Omara

·         Aber’s sweet, shy smile

·         Some sense of life direction and understanding

·         Being able to practice some minimalism concepts

·         Reconnecting with myself, other people, and the natural world

·         Diane moments

·         Bright full moons and endless starry skies

·         Sunscreen (all of the sunscreen)

·         My super stylish pixie cut

·         Harry Potter rescuing me from language training

·         Cultivating a strong sense of self-love

·         Trying to channel Big Magic creativity

·         Places to access power when there is none at home

·         Rainy nights and days (****)

·         Workshops about sweet community programs

·         Antibiotics to kill those infections

·         The ability to take time to rest

·         Cereal and cold milk

·         My neighbor, Doreen, who started the trend that led to everyone calling me “Laker” and still asked about me even when she moved away

·         Meeting new people

·         Cloudy, cool days

·         Learning from others’ experiences

·         All of the amazing food at Intercontinental Hotel (a brunch dream) in Lusaka

·         A water connection to do unlimited amounts of laundry

·         Lillian, who kept it real

·         Randomly meeting friends in town

·         The smell and feel of oncoming rain

·         People who know me

·         Elephant back safaris and rhino tracking

·         Leg hugs from my neighbor-kid friends

·         Sun-dried, warm clothes

·         Organized chaos

·         Enough money to live a comfortable life and share with others

·         My comfy bed with a mosquito net that actually keeps mosquitos (and other creatures) out

·         Smooth airplane rides

·         Being able to flush the toilet as many times as I wanted with connected water

·         The powerful mists of Victoria Falls

·         Friendship

·         Delivery pizza

·         Days without sweating (ok, not sweating as much)

·         Incredibly awkward (and hilarious) moments

·         The days Umeme kept the power on

·         The numerous days Umeme switched the power off and I actually (gasp) survived

·         My host mom’s cooking

·         The people who took pity on me and rescued me in their car that time I was standing under a tree on the side of a muddy road in the rain

·         Relatively safe living space

·         Roasted maize vendors filling the streets in the evening

·         Hearing little voices say “LAKER HOW ARE YOU?!” as I walk to town and come back home

·         A work environment that gave me invaluable perspective

·         My placement town and its unique culture

·         Being cleared to work as a Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda!

Xoxo,

Emilia

DISCLAIMER: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.