During this time of isolation, snail mail has taken on new meaning and I've enjoyed having the time to read and respond to handwritten notes and letters. Last week, some of the staff still working in the Consulate in China sent us a package of beautiful handwritten notes and cards encouraging everyone evacuated in D.C from afar. One of the notes read, "There is a Chinese idiom 见字如晤 which means seeing your handwriting is like seeing yourself. I think that is the reason why I really like handwriting postcards so much" and I couldn't agree more. Sean and I like to put the cards we receive on the fridge to brighten up the generic hotel room decor a little bit.

Are you writing to anyone these days?

What I'm listening to:

The Dream podcast - Hosted by an alum of This American Life, this podcast is described as a "vibrant and sustained inquiry into various systems of capitalist exploitations." I am loving their first season of episodes on MLMs.

Last weekend I attended my first wedding online; a bunch of us dressed up and joined a Zoom call to watch as a few family members streamed a live ceremony of a friend and his new wife in Michigan. The Coronavirus has certainly pushed love to its limits but it hasn't snuffed it out entirely. Instead, we are learning to love in new and different ways.


More than ever, I'm grateful to be quarantining with Sean and it makes me think of having had to go through training and the government shutdown alone in the past which was really tough. A couple of things have helped us to try and enjoy this time together rather than go crazy. Here are a few:

1. Our hotel suite has one bedroom with TVs in both the bedroom and the living room. Although it's fun to watch a movie together, sometimes we shut the door and do our own thing and that's ok.

2. We maintain connections with our own friends. Sure, we do the group internet happy hours and group game nights, but we also shut the door and call our own, individual friends as well.

3. We get out and walk together every day. This is something we look forward to and an activity that we enjoy doing as a couple.

4. We plan little events to look forward to every weekend and at the end of the month. Maybe we pay to rent a movie we've been wanting to see online, order takeout, map out an interesting hike or sleep in and cook a big breakfast. Whatever we do, it's fun to have shared things to look ahead to in the future.

5. We dream together. Lately, we've been making lists of what we want to do and where we want to travel when we return to China and when we'll be back in the States on home leave. We've also talked about bigger dreams in a few years like maybe taking leave without pay/time off from work and doing a long thru-hike or working for the National Park Service.

6. We help each other. Sean and I have completely opposite skill sets and swapping them to help the other comes both as a challenge and a comfort. I'm helping him with his online graduate school assignments and he's coaching me through getting back in shape.

7. We hold each other accountable for goals and follow up with rewards. At the beginning of April, we outlined a few things we wanted to accomplish each day and made some charts to hold each other accountable. This works for us because if I don't make it, I'm not just letting myself down, I'm letting Sean down too.

Is everything perfect? Not at all. In a tiny hotel suite we easily drive each other nuts. I'm messy and moody and I get annoyed when Sean gets to sleep in but I have to get up and log on to work. We don't like the same movies and TV shows. Sean gets frustrated when I buy too many things online or when I'm on my phone too much. It goes on and on. But love in the time of Corona has given us a chance to slow things down, focus on what works and accept the fact that when things aren't working, we can step back, shut the door and retreat into our own spaces for awhile. More than anything, however, I'm grateful for his company and companionship; without a doubt, all of our time apart has made us appreciate the gift of being with each other, especially during self-isolation in a global pandemic.

What we're watching:
McMillions - a docuseries on HBO about the corruption and scandal the FBI broke about McDonalds Monopoly game. Although it's about one episode too long, we really enjoyed the program and looked forward to watching a new episode each night.

How are you spending your time while staying at home and social distancing? I know that this time is incredibly challenging for many people because of losing a job, having to suddenly work at home while also teach children and losing in-person support networks because of the need to self-isolate. For me and Sean, this time together has been a much-needed pause button on life. We feel grateful to have a job, a place to live (that supplies us with toilet paper) and each other while getting through this crisis. To be honest, although it's been strange not to be able to go out and socialize, we are the most relaxed and happy that we've been in a long time. I think this is because we don't have the rush and stress of hurrying to be anywhere, we're getting enough sleep, we're eating healthy and not going out to eat and drink in restaurants, we're going out to walk and run together (following social distancing rules) and most of all we're spending time just enjoying being together while playing ping pong, card games, doing puzzles or having fun with Google 3D animal images.


I talked to my sister yesterday and she mentioned that she felt like she suddenly had energy again to plan events (albeit virtual ones), be creative, connect with others and think up future projects. She thinks this new-found energy is because she's able to work from home and take a break from life's pressing obligations and the stress of the normal daily grind. I completely agree. Here's some of the things that Sean and I are enjoying during the stay-at-home order when I'm not teleworking:

• Cooking
• Playing ping pong
• Doing the NYT crossword together every day
• Watching streaming services (the hotel provides Netflix, Showtime, Prime and HBO)
• Going out for walk or a hike
• Writing letters and postcards
• Taking online classes (Sean's working on an MA I'm working on a PhD)
• Connecting with others via social media and FaceTime
• Talking on the phone
• Taking long showers or baths
• Playing cribbage and other card games
• Indoor camping
• Taking naps
• Reading
• Listening to music
• Studying Chinese
• Doing yoga
• Listening to podcasts
• Journaling
• Doing puzzles
• Planning future vacations

What are you doing to stay survive and thrive during COVID-19?

Weeks on end of self-isolation due to COVID-19 seem like the perfect time to return to blogging. I've missed writing a lot and there's been several times in the past year or so when I've tried to remember what Sean and I did or recall where we went and was disappointed when I realized that I hadn't documented it so there would be no reference to check later. I'm looking forward to sharing about life in the Foreign Service in future posts but until then, let me catch you up on where we left off:

June 2018 - I finished my first year of the English Language Fellowship in Mbarara, Uganda and returned home to spend a glorious summer in Michigan going to the beach, eating ice cream, sailing (thanks, Mindy!) and seeing family. One of the biggest highlights was buying a small house in Holland with Sean and his sister, Jen.

August 2018 - I attended the English Language Fellowship orientation in Washington, D.C. to prepare for my second year as a fellow - this time in Entebbe at a different university - and the highlights were seeing other ELFs there for their second year as well and having the opportunity to speak to the entire group about social media engagement during the fellowship as a program alumna.

September 2018 - I returned to Uganda (Sean followed about two weeks later) and spent the first week or two finding a place to live, getting a car, and figuring out my role and work responsibilities at Nkumba University.

October 2018 - The day I received the formal invitation to join the Foreign Service was the same day that Sean departed for Antarctica to spend 5 months there during the summer season as a dishwasher. I ended my fellowship, returned to Michigan and spent a very busy and stressful two weeks packing up my and Sean's lives for training in Washington, D.C. followed by a career abroad. There was so much to do and I felt completely overwhelmed during this month - there was no way I could have done this without the help of my mom.

November 2018 - I started "A-100" which is the name for the first six weeks of training for the Foreign Service. The month and a half was an extremely intense, challenging and social time where we learned about the Department of State and got to know our fellow officers as we prepared for a life of service around the world in embassies and consulates.

December 2018 - A-100 concluded with "Flag Day" when I found out that my first assignment was in China. Then I had two weeks of "Area Studies" training followed by spending the holidays with my family in Michigan.

January 2019 - The government shutdown occurred during which I entertained a lot of visitors in D.C. and Skyped with Sean as much as I could while he was in Antarctica.

February 2019 - I started Chinese language training at the Foreign Service Institute.

March 2019 - Sean returned from Antarctica and also started Chinese language training.

April - October 2019 - Our lives were filled with Chinese language training, which was enjoyable but stressful because we knew we had to pass the final speaking and reading test.

November 2019 - "ConGen" training was offered for both me and Sean when we learned about U.S. immigration law, visas, American citizen services and crises management.

December 2019 - We moved to Shenyang, China where I started working at my first post, the U.S. Consulate in Shenyang.

January 2020 - Sean and I returned to the U.S. for a week of required training and got "caught out" from Post. This means that while we were abroad, the U.S. Ambassador to China issued Authorized Departure due to COVID-19 so Sean and I were not allowed to return to Shenyang.

February-March 2020 - Sean and lived in a hotel in Arlington and I reported to work every day in one of the HQ buildings of the U.S. Department of State doing a new "bridge" or temporary assignment for Consular Affairs.

April 2020 - We're in the same hotel, but now I am teleworking (working from home) and we are self-isolating because of the spread of the Coronavirus.

Whew, that was a lot to catch up on and I regret that I hadn't kept up with this blog because so many interesting things happened in our lives. I know I will wish for that digital memory in the future when I can't remember details of those events.

I'm looking forward to writing about a few of the events I mentioned and about life in China while the stay-at-home order has hit the pause button on life and allowed me to slow down, take time to write and read, and get plenty of sleep. Thanks for following along and I hope your quarantime is just as relaxing!

It has been a crazy last couple of months and a lot of changes happened in a very short amount of time. I received an offer to become a U.S. diplomat while I was in Uganda, moved back to Michigan to pack up, relocated to D.C. to start training and Sean moved to Antarctica for a seasonal support staff position on McMurdo Station. The last few months have been so busy and a bit stressful that I feel like I've barely had a moment to breathe, but with the government shutdown I am enjoying the time to relax and the feeling that I have a bit of my life back (while also worrying about not being paid).

I'm looking forward to updating this blog not only with current goings-on but also with narratives about the process of becoming a Foreign Service Officer. Reading others' experiences certainly helped me in my journey and I'm hoping to pay it forward. Thanks, as always, for following along and happy new year!

Although I'm very grateful to have a second opportunity to be an English Language Fellow (ELF) in Uganda, the time between the two contracts was very limited which made the vacation I was able to spend at home much shorter than I would have liked. Because of this, I packed in as much as I could and saw as many family and friends as possible which made the break in Holland fun but certainly not relaxing.

During the first week, I enjoyed a lovely sail with Mindy and an evening with Emily as well as a visit to Coppercraft distillery with Susie, Al and Marcus. On Friday, I spent the day with Al and we had fun exploring the Tanger Outlets and going out for lunch before we met up with Susie, Marcus and the rest of their gang to hit up Food Truck Friday and then Movies in the Park in Grand Rapids. Susie and I had planned a sister's weekend and spent Saturday at the Farmer's Market, Art in the Park, lunch at Big Lake Brewing and the afternoon at the beach topped off by an obligatory visit to Captain Sundae.



The first week at home flew by and before I knew it I was boarding a plane for Washington D.C. for a week of English Language Fellowship training and professional development. As a "Renewing Fellow", I had a lot more responsibilities than last year including a presentation on using social media as an outreach tool for the big group and several smaller presentations about challenges and successes of my first year during the Africa ELF breakout sessions. The best part about being in DC was seeing all of my ELF friends that I had made during my first year but hadn't seen since the mid-year seminar. It was also nice to see the faces of the program administrators with whom I communicate via email constantly but have never met in person.




From D.C. I flew back to Grand Rapids where I met Sean who had just flown in from Oregon where he finished his summer as a Trip Leader for Adventure Treks. We drove to a hotel in Grand Rapids to celebrate our 7th anniversary and catch each other up on the adventures of the past three months. Staying downtown GR was a blast and we enjoyed walking to check out Brewery Vivant and Founders Brewing Company throughout the weekend.



After we returned to Holland, the focus was on family and we both had several events lined up. The first was Sean's dad's retirement dinner at Marigold Lodge which was made especially enjoyable by the fact that everyone was in town to celebrate, including Jen (teaches in Saudi Arabia), Kate (works in Hawaii) and Jess (studies in Florida). Other family highlights included a picnic with my birth family, a family breakfast and hang-out day with my cousins Craig and Dave and pizza at the beach with Mom, Dad, Susie, Marcus and Sean.



The other thing that kept me busy was preparing our newly purchased house for renters. Back in May, Sean, Jen (Sean's sister) and I pooled our funds and bought a small house on the south side of Holland. Since we all teach abroad, the plan was to live in it during the summers and rent it out during the year. The amount of paperwork that was required to purchase a house and then obtain all of the proper documentation to rent it legally was extremely time-consuming and a steep learning curve. I hope our new renters enjoy it as much as we have!



This week I've returned to Uganda and am working on getting settled in a new university and in a new apartment. Sean arrives this weekend and will stay until the end of September until he moves to Antarctica for a seasonal job, but more on that later. Thanks for reading and following along!

The blog has taken a backseat to life as an English Language Fellow (ELF) so let me share some updates on how this summer is going while I have a decent internet connection.



Sarah

I am finishing up the last two months of my English Language Fellowship in Mbarara, Uganda. Classes ended in May and I finished giving and grading final exams right before taking off to Michigan to attend two weddings of good friends (Congratulations Jenna and Brian and Arun and Connie!). Also, Sean, his sister and I pooled our money to buy a small house, which has been an exciting new venture. After a quick trip home, I returned to Uganda and have been working on some projects now that things at the university are pretty quiet. One big project was a weekend teacher training workshop with the Ugandan National English Language Teaching Association (UNELTA) which took place last weekend. We're working together on equipping English clubs with entrepreneurial and business skills so students can make a little money, learn how to run a small business and practice English in an authentic way. Another big project was working with Rotary International and the American Refugee Committee to put together some events at Nakivale Refugee Camp for International World Refugee Day. The next big event is in Tanzania which is a collaboration with several other ELFs. We are hosting a two day conference followed by a five-day training for 50 English teachers coming from all over East Africa. After that, I only have a couple of weeks before I fly back to the U.S. on July 29 - can't wait! Besides training in D.C. from August 6-11, I'll have some time at home before returning to Uganda on August 24 for a second year of ELFing.




Sean

Sean left Uganda in early May to get ready for his first summer of being a Trip Leader with Adventure Treks. He will be leading trips in the Pacific Northwest July and August and will return to Holland roughly the same time I get back from D.C. I'm following along with his summer trips on the Adventure Treks blog, which has been a lot of fun. Sean has his annual Labor Day trip with friends along with an additional backpacking trip to Isle Royal before, which he has been looking forward to.

I'm looking forward to some time in Holland to see Sean, friends and family and soak up some Michigan paradise before heading back to Africa at the end of August. I wish it were longer than two weeks, but I'm grateful for the break before starting a new contract at a new university and in a new city. Fingers crossed that I'll have better internet to update this blog in Entebbe compared with access and connectivity in Mbarara. Thanks for reading and enjoy your summer!

 Before starting my fellowship, I assumed that I would talk about things like teaching methodology or upcoming conferences with my colleagues, but this has not been the case at all. My Ugandan office mates including the department dean, secretaries, lecturers and graduate teaching assistants want to talk about sex, marriage, and power dynamics in our relationships. It all started innocently enough with pizza dough. This year, since I'm working full-time, Sean manages the house and does all of the cooking, grocery shopping, cleaning and laundry - activities which are extremely time-consuming where we live. One of his favorite dinners to make is homemade pizza and because I usually take leftovers for lunch and since there aren't any pizza places in town, my colleagues were immediately intrigued. "Where did you get that pizza?" they asked. "Did you make it?" When I said that Sean had made it the night before they were shocked, and their surprise led us to talk about who does what in our relationships and why that is. My (mostly female) group of colleagues are educated professionals the same age as me who also have at least three children and manage the house in addition to working full-time. All of them are married and about half of their husbands work. Where we live in Uganda, it is not common for men to work inside the home or care for children but as unemployment rises for men and more educated women join the workforce, juggling domestic duties and childcare with a career has become exhausting, frustrating and unsustainable for many wives. Sean is frequently in the office bringing lunch so we can eat together, collaborating with me on the next workshop and stopping by on his way back from the grocery store, loaded down with bags. Over the past few months, he's gotten to know the women in my office and it has been so cool to see their friendships develop. Sean is an anomaly here - he's a man that cooks, cleans and washes and is not afraid to talk about it. "Come on over," he says to my officemates. "I'll show you how to make pizza dough."

There are so many incredible national parks in Uganda that in ten months we'll probably only make it to half of them. After hiking to see the gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest, the next park on our list was Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP), which is famous for its tree-climbing lions. QENP is only a few hours from our house and after hearing that a few other teachers wanted to explore it as well, we hired a car and spent the weekend there.



Since it can be a bit expensive to stay inside the park, we opted to stay at nearby Kingfisher Lodge which offered a beautiful pool and rooms overlooking the savannah. We arrived on Friday afternoon and immediately took off for a sunset safari. On the way to the park entrance we were greeted by many families of curious monkeys looking for a handout. The evening safari was fun because the air was cool, the scenery was gorgeous and the animals were active. We saw elephants, a variety of antelope, water buffalo and too many interesting birds to count. We were also very lucky to spot two tree-climbing lions napping in the branches on our way out. We only covered a bit of the 760 square miles that the park has to offer before the sun went down and we headed back to the lodge.



Queen Elizabeth National Park is known for being one of the better parks in Uganda to see a large variety of wildlife including African buffalo, Ugandan kob, hippos, crocodiles, warthogs, elephants, leopards and chimpanzees. However, it is most famous for being the home of tree-climbing lions, whose males have black manes. Part of the reason for the abundance of wildlife is the access to water - the park extends from Lake George in the north-east to Lake Edward in the south-west and includes the Kazinga Channel connecting the two lakes. It was originally called Kazinga National Park but was renamed two years later to commemorate a visit by Queen Elizabeth II.



On our second day, we had a morning safari and then stopped for lunch at one of the more expensive lodges inside the park. For me, the highlight of the day was hanging out with the piles of sleeping mongooses which could be found napping under the trees on the grounds of the park - they were super cute! We spent the afternoon on a three-hour boat ride that took us the length of the channel and back and allowed us to get up close to hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffalo, lizards and birds. Without a doubt, it was some of the best wildlife viewing I've ever had the opportunity to witness as being in a boat was much quieter and less obtrusive then rumbling around on dirt roads in a safari jeep.



That evening we had a long ride back to our lodge and went to bed early in anticipation of an early start and the drive back to Mbarara. After having spent the weekend at QENP, I can now understand why it's one of the more popular national parks to visit in Uganda and I highly recommend if you ever get the chance.

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.

Blog posts have been a little delayed because of the loss of my laptop. Unfortunately, while we were away on a weekend trip a few weeks ago, someone broke into our apartment and took my computer and hard drive. I'm still grieving a bit but also trying to move forward, stay positive and not let the frustration and fear of the theft drag me down.

This past weekend was one of the highlights of the fellowship so far as my husband and I were invited to attend a traditional Ugandan wedding. Last semester, Sean and I co-taught a communications skills course with Cleophas, a very friendly and outgoing Ugandan professor. As soon as I met her, she immediately invited me to attend the wedding of her niece. In Uganda, it is quite common for large numbers of people to be invited to extended family weddings. Sean and I were excited about the opportunity and started planning where to stay and what to wear.

Ugandan weddings are long and complex affairs. They usually involve at least two ceremonies on separate days - one is the 'Giving Away' celebration during which the bride's family formally hands her over to the groom's family and the other is the actual wedding ceremony. Although Sean and I were invited to both events, we opted to attend just the Giving Away ceremony because of available time and expense.


Both ceremonies were held on the same weekend in Kampala which is unusual for two reasons. Usually, the two events are spread weeks or months apart and are held in the village, not in a big city like Kampala. Although our invitations said the event started at one in the afternoon, staff at our hostel advised us to arrive much later. When we got to the venue at 2:30 pm, hardly any of the other guests had arrived yet and we ended up waiting around until about 4:30 pm when the party really got started.

The location of the ceremony was beautiful and elaborate. There was an elevated center stage for the bride surrounded by chairs to be filled by her bridal party. Guests were seated under tents in a circular arrangement around the stage. The middle area was used by the MC and by the dance troupe who performed no less than eight entertaining numbers at various points in the service. The day began with drinks and lunch. Instead of being served at our tables, the ushers directed us to a separate area of the park where we stood in the buffet line and then took our heavy plates to dining tents. After everyone had eaten, the event began with processionals of the families, the bridal party and the groomsmen. Several people from each group gave speeches to the bride and to the families.

After everyone was in place, both families presented gifts to each other and gave more speeches. The service was tri-lingual and three MCs spoke in either English, Lugandan or Runyankole which made each part of the ceremony last for quite some time. After the presentation of gifts and lots of picture taking, there was cutting of the cake and final speeches and Bible verses by the bride's family. Throughout all of this, guests were supplied with drinks and later on with tea and cake. Toward the end of the evening, plates of grilled beef and goat meat were passed around along with chapati (thick tortillas) and the snacks disappeared quickly.

The official ceremony ended around 10 pm and we headed home at that point but were informed that the the informal party would continue much later into the night. My favorite part of the day was the fact that not a single person walked down the aisle - everyone danced. This seemed like a particularly appropriate model to live by, especially here in Uganda. Why walk when you can dance? It was a privilege and delight to be able to attend a traditional Ugandan wedding and I hope we're able to go to another one before my fellowship comes to an end.

Whenever I mentioned that I was going to be an English Language Fellow in Mbarara, Uganda, almost always somebody said something to the effect of, "You're so lucky because you'll be right near  the gorillas!" And they were totally right. Working in Mbarara means that I'm only a few hours away from the opportunity to track gorillas and it's an experience that I started planning as soon as I arrived in the country.


There aren't many places in the world where one can encounter gorillas and there are only about 900 mountain gorillas in the wild, currently only found in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Many people choose to see gorillas in Uganda because of increased prices in Rwanda and problems with safety and stability in the DRC. Opting to do a gorilla trek in Uganda is still quite an investment, however, with high season permits costing around $600 and low seasons ones around $450. In contrast, doing a gorilla trek in Rwanda can typically cost over $1000.  When Sean and I arrived in early October, we joined a group of expats planning a gorilla trek in late November. This made the experience more affordable because November is the rainy, off season and going in a group decreases costs of hiring a car and a driver. A gorilla trek has to be planned a bit in advance because official permits have to be acquired and paid for in Kampala through the Ugandan Wildlife Association and more often than not the demand for permits outnumbers the supply.

Last Friday afternoon after teaching communication class, the group of us set out for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which was about a five hour drive passing through Kabale. The last two hours of the journey involved rough mountain roads and we ended up getting a flat tire. Fortunately, everyone in the group was positive and outgoing and we enjoyed a few beers on the veranda of a roadside hotel while waiting for a new tire to be delivered. We reached Rushaga Gorilla Camp at about 7:30 p.m. and had a lovely set dinner together at 8 p.m. Everyone headed to bed early in anticipation of the hike to the gorillas the following day.


Saturday began very early with breakfast at 6:15 a.m. and a hike to the gorilla tracking headquarters for the briefing which began at 8:00 a.m. We joined about twenty-five other excited hikers from all over the world for an hour-long session explaining the history of the program, the habitat and ecology of the gorillas and the rules for the trek. We were warned that because of the enormity of the park, some groups might hike up to 5 hours before seeing the gorillas whereas other groups might only have to hike for 30 minutes. There are several different gorilla families located in Bwindi and we were divided up into groups of no more than eight people to visit one of them. Before we had arrived, experienced Ugandan gorilla trackers had set out to locate each of the families so that they could radio their location to our guide to cut down on hiking time. Our trekking group consisted of 8 tourists, one guide, one porter and two soldiers in the front and back for protection against poachers and aggressive mountain elephants.



After the briefing, we met our guide, learned which family we would track, picked out walking sticks and introduced ourselves to the rest of our group. We started the hike at nine and after about 30 minutes of hiking our guide received a radio call notifying us that the gorilla family had changed direction so we had to turn around and start off again on a new trail. After only hiking for a short while, it was easy to see why the forest had been named "Impenetrable" as the trekking was difficult due to dense trees and growth. Since it was the rainy season, trails were slick and everybody was slipping and falling when there were steep ascents and descents. Other challenges during the hike were mobs of biting safari ants, thick clouds of mosquitoes, lots of thorny undergrowth and wet stream crossings. After two hours of hiking, we stopped and waiting for the gorilla trackers to recommend a specific route to find our family. Once we received the information, we started hiking off trail into the thick, untamed bush of Bwindi National Park. Two guides went in front with machetes to help clear the way and our group slowly descended into the thick rainforest for one final hour. I have never hiked in such a challenging environment before and it made all of us imagine what it must have been like for early explorers navigating new landscapes with no ready-made trails.



Rounding the corner and seeing the group of mountain gorillas for the first time was a magical and surreal experience. Since the gorillas in Bwindi are habituated, we were able to get and stay very close for the full hour-long experience. Being 'habituated' means that the gorillas had been exposed to humans often and thus were quite accustomed to us being a certain distance away. We watched them play with each other, snack, nap and talk to each other using loud grunts and coughs. Our group consisted of nine gorillas: one silverback male, three babies and five other younger males and females. For most of the hour, they stayed in one area but when they started walking to a different place we were able to follow them at a safe distance. It was fascinating to see them interact with each other as they were eerily humanlike.



The hour passed much too quickly and all too soon it was time to hike back to the park headquarters. Everyone had a fantastic experience and there were no doubts as to whether it was worth the time, effort and money to commit to seeing such amazing animals in the wild. We made it back to camp at about 3:00 p.m. and enjoyed cold beers, warm showers and lots of photo and video sharing. Doing a gorilla trek exceeded my expectations and is something that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys hiking and who is interested in seeing wildlife in their natural habitat. I can now understand why so many people said it was a "must-do" experience for me and Sean during my time in Uganda as an ELF.