And The Journey Begins...

Welp...I guess it's about that time.

So I am sure some of you that know me know this, but Monday I will be airborne to Kampala, Uganda for the next 12 weeks to intern with the State Department in their Population, Refugees, and Migration Unit. What exactly will I be doing...I will have to get back to you on that.

I am sure some of you aren't exactly sure where Uganda even is, so for your viewing pleasure...


Kampala is on the south side of the country, so basically where the point of the arrow is. Beautiful city, beautiful people, I cant think of anywhere else I would rather spend my summer.

This blog is mostly meant to share my experience with my friends and family back in the good 'ol O.H.I.O. I will attempt to update this blog with pictures, videos, or any amusing stories that I am sure will transpire over my time there. I also want to open some of your minds to what the life is like in the Heart of Africa, a continent many of you have probably know nothing about. Until a couple years ago, I was right with the rest of you. This blog will also share reflections on my own personal growth over the summer and my pursuit for enhanced mindfulness and the crystallization of my spirituality.

In case you are interested in Uganda's background, here is a brief synopsis. If you don't care, you can skip this paragraph. Uganda is an ex-British Colony and gained its independence in 1962. Since then, Uganda has been plagued with some pretty brutal internal conflicts, most recently, with the Lord's Resistance Army and their leader Joseph Kony. Some of you may have heard of the Kony 2012 campaign which sought to gain political attention to the LRA and their abduction of young children to create child soldiers in northern Uganda. Since then, the LRA has been pushed west into the Central African Republic and continues to commit atrocities across Africa. I cannot accurately say if its getting worse or better at this point. If you are interested at all, please google it. You can find a lot of info on this and human rights threats at stopgenocidenow.org. As of now, Kampala is pretty safe. So no worries : )

The work I will be doing there will mostly deal with refugees living within Kampala and northern Uganda who have sought refuge from mass political violence. Most of this is a result of the genocide in Darfur and internal conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Again, if you are curious about what is going on there...please look it up. For a more in-depth account, I highly recommend reading Dancing in the Glory of Monsters by Jason Stearns. I will try to keep the blog updated on some of what is going on for anyone who is curious.

As I mentioned, I will be flying out of Columbus on Monday. I have a very...interesting flight itinerary. I fly into JFK where I have an 18...yes 18 hour layover. I then have a 15 hour flight to Johannesburg  South Africa where I then have a 6 hour layover, and then will fly into Uganda. This is my first international flight, so it may very likely be a mess. Also, if anyone has any fun "tips" for things to do at an airport or on a plane I would love any and all suggestions. I anticipate that the travel process may suck a little, but I feel like I would walk if that was the only way. It will be worth all the hassle when I finally arrive.

Thank you to all of my family and friends who have contributed to my opportunity to fulfill my dreams. Whether you told me not to give up or helped me study for a test, I could not have done it without you every single one of you.