Reflection: Orientation Day 1

At just under 48 hours before we depart for Uganda, the reality of the trip is really beginning to hit me. Since October, I have been telling family and friends about our upcoming trip, but I do not think that I grasped the full significance until our first day of orientation today. I appreciated that each of our orientation exercises today were meaningful and helpful, and I think that the "hope, fear, and expectation" exercise this morning really set the tone for the rest of the day's activities. During this activity, I was particularly struck by the comment that our most memorable learning experiences may actually come from the unexpected circumstances or obstacles that we may encounter. Overall today, I gained the most insight into myself and my judgments from the lunchtime exercise in Lexington Market. I have always thought of myself as an observant person, but until today, I never realized how much of what I thought were simple observations were actually significant judgments. I am looking forward to the parallel activity in Kampala's market on Saturday. Now I must return to packing so that I am prepared for all of the adventures that this trip to Uganda will bring!