Writing hiatus

The blog has taken a backseat to life as an English Language Fellow (ELF) for several reasons. First, the internet connection in rural Uganda is weak and expensive. When I am lucky enough to have a decent signal, I prioritize work-related activities and communication over anything else. Even purchasing internet data in bulk is pricey - last week I reloaded with 10G for about $60 (a fortune here), which I'll hopefully try to make last for at least a couple of weeks. Secondly, even if there is a decent internet signal there is often no electricity. Much of the time I'm not able to charge my phone or computer to access internet in the first place. Sean and I have adjusted to these challenges by limiting our time online, charging everything whenever there is electricity available and keeping a headlamp and a backup battery for emergencies with us at all times.

Other than getting used to a life offline and in the dark, life as an English Language Fellow in Uganda has been fantastic and the past few months have been very fun and busy. In November, Sean and I traveled to Malindi, Kenya so I could participate and present at an English Access Microscholarship Training for a few days. In January, we spent a week in Kigali, Rwanda helping out with an English Teacher Association Networking conference put on by the U.S. Embassy and the British Council. The next month we headed to Zanzibar in Tanzania for the ELF midyear seminar which was a fantastic opportunity to meet and get to know the other ELFs in Africa. This month, we recently returned from a friend's destination wedding in Mexico and we enjoyed celebrating with family and friends in Puerto Vallarta. Next month, we travel to Ethiopia to present at a TESOL conference in Addis Ababa and in May we return home for a week to attend two weddings in Michigan. It's hard to believe that at the end of July I'll be flying home at the completion of my fellowship and we're eager to see what's next.

In the meantime, I'll be updating the blog as best as I can with the available internet and electricity. As always, thanks for following along!

Nothing like a power outage to remind us that even forced candlelight dinners can be romantic.