Reflection before our trip to Uganda

It quite hasn’t hit me yet that we’re leaving for Uganda in less than two days. I had just unpacked my suitcase after flying in from home last night, only to be packing again for a three-week journey that will surely blow my mind. While I do have some fears about this trip, I just pray that whatever happens will only help me to grow as a person. I think my mind has been more occupied by goals and hopes that I have for this trip. Especially after we separated into our groups to discuss our specific themes, I am ever more excited and eager to really dive into and learn more about a topic that is of the greatest interest to me, particularly career-wise. I am also looking forward to experiencing first-hand a different culture, which is scary but awesome at the same time. More specifically, I hope to see and better understand child health and development outside of what I’ve learned and seen in formal settings. I also hope that through this trip, I will feel less distant to the children and people in Uganda who are in need, when I hear statistics or watch commercials about them. It will also be very interesting to see the similarities and differences in the urban versus rural settings, as well as when we come back to Baltimore. Just from the orientation, it will indeed be a challenge to observe and critically think about my observations, but I hope it will become easier with practice and time. Last but not least, I am excited to start, what I hope to be, a lasting relationship with our Ugandan peers.