adventure.

Twenty-three months ago, on June 17, 2009, I boarded a plane at 10:00pm and departed JFK at 11:00pm for the Entebbe airport in Uganda.

It’s so interesting to reflect back on my life back then: I was antsy to embark on Uganda–the very country I had prayed so earnestly for, passionate about justice, eager to learn and see, so nervous, but completely at peace with the chaos of everything.

That’s probably because everything was chaos up until the very day I left.

I got on the plane and I cried. A man’s luggage hit my head and I started rolling tears. The luggage didn’t hurt, it wasn’t that. I was hit with loneliness–deep impact.

And then I started to question everything. That’s the funny thing. The worst and best time to question a decision is when you’re mid-air on your way to Africa, without a ticket back. That’s the worst time because… well you can’t pull over and get out. It’s also the best time because you can’t just pull over, quit, and wave your white flag. So I sat still. I didn’t yell fire and I just sat still. Somehow, I made it to Uganda.

When I finally arrived, I was nervous and scared. It was so foreign, yet so familiar. The following months were both amazing and terrifying. I was challenged as a person, Christian, professional, sister, daughter, and friend. I struggled a lot. I cried a lot. I missed a lot. I went thru some intense moments of loneliness. Do you know the struggle of your heart when you know you are exactly where you are suppose to be, but you feel also feel so distant and helpless? The Enemy whispered many lies into my ear. During this time, I also clung to the Bible, I discovered MY God, laughed a lot, prayed a lot and understood what it means to thirst.

I also learned to enjoy the simple touch of the sun’s rays, the rain’s droplets, endless skies and beautiful clouds. I experienced showers under waterfalls, immersed myself (not by choice) into the Nile, and discovered hidden hiking trails.

I left my home-community, made up of people who knew me and became part of an entirely different community–I was a complete stranger. This place soon became my home. One day, my life in the States seemed like a fragment of my imagination. Amazing how that works. Amazing how you live in one country for 21 years and then you become estranged to it. I soon returned to the US. And you know what… it was so different. I had changed, the people changed, places changed. I changed, I changed, I changed. And we became strangers. This is what it means when I say: neither here nor there club.

Sometimes… I imagine I’m riding on a boda, instead of driving. Sometimes I close my eyes and I see Uganda. Heck, I don’t even have to close my eyes to see Uganda. I miss the adventures. I miss how every . single . day. was an adventure. Who knows if a mouse will pop out of your luggage or room, or if the water will go off? Electricity outages were a part of life. Will I get into an accident today? Will it rain? Are we going to attain victim relief today? Will perpetrators be caught? Will ants devour my food? Bed bugs? Mosquito bites? Waking up was an adventure.

I miss it.

So I decided to live every day as an adventure. I’ll appreciate little things and discover forgotten things. I will desperately find something that I am thankful and grateful for every single day. And I’ll blog it.  It’ll just be wherever my mind wanders. Some days you’ll get pictures, other days you won’t.

I just need an adventure again. And what better place to start than now.

Project Adventure, commence.

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