There is a song in Wolof about being in a fishing boat and going early the next morning to Senegal. It goes Gaal gann girr_a bii (x2). Eleg suba tel dinaa dem Senegal. (I'll sing it for you some day if you're lucky.)
I've waited 13 months to sing this song and mean it. Early tomorrow morning I will catch my flight that will eventually take me to Dakar.
It is incredible to think I'm really going back. I am excited, nervous, anxious, curious... about how this will go. I'll be there for a month, just visiting and hanging out. I don't know how I will be received. I don't know what I'll do all day to bide my time. I also fear I haven't brought adequate gifts. But I figure things will work out. It will be wonderful to be back with my family and friends over there and back in the culture I grew to love so much.
The rest of the JRC folks flew home tonight. I'm staying at my friend Johan's house in Kampala. Thank God for Macalester. I now have a contact in many cities around the world. After 28 hours of travel (including an 8-hour layover in Johannesburg), I'll finally arrive in Dakar.
I can hardly wait.
These past two weeks have been wonderful and incredibly eye-opening. It was great to discover a different region of Africa and to travel with such inspiring people. I learned a lot about grassroots community development. We faced many harsh realities, but what stuck out most to me is the beauty and resilience of humanity. I hope you have enjoyed my posts so far. Now my journey continues in a different fashion.
Until Dakar, inshAllah,
Hannah
(P.S. Keep reading as I made two other posts tonight finishing the rest of our time in Uganda.)
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1 comment:
Hannah! We're home!
Everything went smoothly, but now I'm up at six AM thinking, "When's lunch?" I miss Africa.
Let us know when you're in Dakar and settled, and have a magnificent trip, and we'll see you when you get back!
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