Hello from the west coast!  i'm going to try to keep you posted on our news from here... as you can see, i didn't get around to much blogging in DC (where we've been since Aug 2009 - between Aug 2008 (last post on here!) and Aug 2009 we were in Uganda, Richmond, Bethesda, and Rockville... long story, maybe for another night?)

As of Sept 2011 we left DC and took a road trip across the country with Jacob (now almost 3 years old!) to make it out to our new house in Seattle, WA in time for me to start my new job at EPA - although it's in the same building where I used to work before I left for Peace Corps 10 years ago - so it's like an old job, but not quite the same :) and a new city, but not totally new... the exciting thing is that we're here!  And, i'll start talking about our trip across, but probably won't finish up tonight, so i'll have to do it in spurts.  Here we go:

Sunday September 11, 2011 - a somber and reflective day, can't it's been 10 years!  i was in Richmond on my way to Peace Corps in 2001....  (that's another post all together as well)   So anyway, we ate breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa in Rockville and hit the road for Cleveland around 9:30 am.  Although we made a number of stops before we actually got OUT of Rockville.... filled up with gas (always good) and stopped at Target for PullUPs (didn't want to have to wake Jacob up if he actually fell asleep) and once stopped on the side of I-270 to fix the cartop carrier strap that was flapping around.  Did I mention that I was driving?  I didn't like stopping on the highway, but Dan fixed it so off we went... for good this time... and it was about 10:30 or 11:00 when we finally got moving!  We didn't stop till lunchtime in Cumberland, MD - and Jacob ate an entire Personal Pan Pizza (never seen anything like that before) while flirting with the nice lady in the table across the way ( I see that all the time :)  We pulled in to Alyson and Matt's in Cleveland around 5:30 so we made really good time. And after a yummy dinner, we got the girls and Jacob ready for bed.  Sang songs, read stories... and then talked with Alyson over fresh mint tea and my first ever yellow watermelon.  Long day, but a good one.  Which felt like all will be well for the stretch ahead.  What a wonderful way to start!  Let's see, can I write around the pictures? not sure....

Monday September 12, 2011:  We got up and left Cleveland right around 9 am and started driving around the Lake towards Chicago. However, I realized by looking at the map that we were as close to Ann Arbor as we were going to be for awhile, and maybe Dan would want to stop in and see how Michigan was doing these days... after all, he graduated about 20 years ago and hasn't been back!  Well, he wasn't excited about detouring and adding time to our day... but I gave a pretty convincing argument in favor of checking the campus out.... and we had such a good time!   A quick stop for lunch, sunny and warm outside of Zingerman's Deli - and ice cream at XXXXX and a stop at the campus bookstore for baseball hats and t-shirts... as we learned from my parent's search for a 2T Michigan shirt that you can't get them just anywhere!...

 After a few hours' break in Ann Arbor it was back on the road again, so we could drive ACROSS MICHIGAN and into Indiana then around to Chicago by 5:30 - our estimated time to meet up at Erin's and have dinner with Erin, Jeff, and Sachin!!  Not to mention get to meet the soon-to-be Panzer in the oven (so exciting!)  Jacob drew pictures and kept us company while we all stood in the kitchen and caught up while Erin made an amazing dinner (beet risotto and asian slaw salad!) and we drank wine and had a wonderful time.  Mazal tov to Erin and Jeff on their beautiful house, and on a successful year in Ethiopia and on the baby to be.  Can't wait till you all make a trip out this way!  On Tuesday, September 13, 2011 we got up in Chicago and made it to Madison Wisconsin, to visit friends who just had a baby!  Ewan came into the world a few weeks early, so we were very lucky to get to meet him as he was home from the hospital with his proud mommy and daddy!  Jhin and Jung Im hosted us and showed us where to go to grab a quick lunch, before we drove through Madison's "campus"  - Honestly, I have to say I've always had visions of lakes, and grassy lawns.... I don't know why.  But University of Wisconsin at Madison is pretty urban!  Not what I was expecting at all!  We drove through to see it and then it was 6 hours straight from lunch - straight north up to the top of Wisconsin to visit my cousins in Washburn on Lake Superior.  I drove and drove... and we stopped once at Minocqua to stretch and have a potty break and quick drink.  Beer for me, Chocolate milk for Jacob.  Dan was driving at that point - so he just had a sip :)  We kept going... and going... and pulled into Craig and Jane's by around 7pm.  That was a long day across Wisconsin!  We ordered pizza delivery and put Jacob to bed - he camped out by the turtle tank and was totally in heaven.  Ok, I've gotta go.  I'll write more soon - We're only a few days into the trip right now...  but here's some fun pics to give you some smiles as you scroll down.  Gotta figure out how to integrate the pictures a little better next time...  

There's ladybugs on Elie's ceiling!

Our "night in" Chi-town. Can't believe we graduated 5 years ago!

Jacob's learning "Go Blue!" to go with his "Go, Packers" for Craig and Jane

Notice Jacob's in a Michigan T-shirt while we visited Madison...hmmm, Dan, having fun?

Now, this will be a quick one. Just wanted to share the news that we went this week for a 20-week ultrasound, and everything is good! baby is growing right on schedule. we could see the heart beating! and there's a spine, ribs, leg bones... a brain... we saw everything! As soon as there's a chance that the connection is good and I can upload a photo or two I'll try to share. I swear! I was all set to do it today, but blogger isn't cooperating. sorry bout that.

more to come... hang in there...

Ok, now... to take a break from all this city living, and working, and driving (and not to mention from being completely sick and miserable until about 16 or 17 weeks into this pregnancy) Dan and I went to CapeTown, South Africa for a week at the beginning of August. We had a wonderful time exploring a bit of the town itself, and we rented a car so that we could also explore a few other areas of the Western Cape. And of course, Dan did some wine tasting in the Stellenbosch and Franshoek Valleys. Here's a quick rundown of our trip: We took the funicular (sp?) to the top of Table Mountain and walked all the way around the top of the plateau to see the view in all directions (Table Mountain was under the Atlantic Ocean originally and was thrust up with plate tectonics + the sea retreated and left a mountain behind), we drove down to the Cape of Good Hope (remember Magellan, anyone?) -- the southwestern corner of the continent of Africa, we saw the penguin colony that swam up from Antarctica and never went back, we went to Cecil Rhodes Farm - which is now a World Heritage Site Botanical Garden, wine tasting, and whale watching along the southern coast. We had great weather for wintertime! It wasn't quite as cold and rainy as we expected, and there were a few warm sunny days actually! I'll try uploading a few pics:

well, alrighty then. that didn't work. I'll have to try again another day... internet changes minute by minute!

what else can i tell you? we did a little shopping, a lot of eating! even went for high tea at the (british of course) Mt. Nelson Hotel where i think i had the most heavenly chocolate mousse and cheesecake. Then of course I felt sick all night afterwards. But it was worth it. and after being so sick in Kampala and not gaining much weight for my first and second trimesters (well, the first half of the second trimester) I figured, why not? I'll never get to do this again :)

CapeTown is unlike any other city I've been in in Africa... there's a lot of segregation, and we didn't meet many local people -- most people had moved there from somewhere else in South Africa, plus everyone out on the streets, at least in the places we went to, where South Africans of the afrikaaner or british descendent persuasion -- but when we stopped freaking out over how "this is so NOT africa" it was a nice little get away from reality, which is what a vacation should be, right?

Hi! How are things at home? I have a chance now to catch you up. I think there's a lot, so I might write a few different entries. Hope you can read away. So- let's see- since July, when I think I updated last, we've settled in our new house. And I've learned my way around Kampala (gotta say, it gets easier each time I drive). And, I've had one consulting assignment after another! That's been nice, staying busy, feeling useful, and making some money are all good things around here :) We keep checking our bank statement in disbelief! Living in Kampala is kind of expensive!

It was so great to finally unpack all our boxes and put stuff out -- we really had forgotten what we brought here, it had been so long! and the house is bigger than we have stuff for, so that means over time we'll see what else we can find... but we've even got a space to put a crib, and a whole room that can be filled with toys and other "babystuff" so we're on our way.

Driving has been quite the challenging experience. There are tons of cars on the road here - but many drivers don't have licenses. Or training. And, on top of the crazy ridiculously reckless driving, people are walking on both sides of the road, there are storm sewer ditches on both sides, there are super deep potholes that everyone weaves around, motorcycles whizzing by, people with wheelbarrows (carrying home a refrigerator in a wheelbarrow is pretty common), glass sheets transported on the backs of bicycles... all kinds of things. Are you getting an idea? It's complete chaos. At first I would hold my breath, and cry. But now I just curse at everyone :) and muscle my way through, just like everyone else. I've gotten pretty good at darting between cars parked in traffic when trying to make a turn! And weaving between potholes, ditches, and on coming cars. The best is when a car comes at you IN YOUR LANE, so they are obviously on the wrong side, and yet they glare and honk and flash lights at you, like its your fault if they smash into you. Usually i just stop, it makes them have to travel around me. I think other drivers are too impatient. Nothing happens quickly -- anywhere I've lived in Africa - except when people are in the car, they just can't get there soon enough.

So i drive pretty slow for Ugandan standards - and from inside the car I make all kinds of comments :) But I know how to get where I need to go, and its good, since every week or so I change assignments!

Before we head home, I'll try and post a picture of my little Suzuki. We're becoming fast friends.

So, I realized that I haven't mentioned the trips -- with all of the moving and trying to finally settle in and job searching, I skipped over some exciting news! At the end of May, we had two friends swing through Kampala, one was here to attend the wedding of a college friend and the other was here for work on a documentary film, but it was so fabulous to see them both. And, as luck would have it, I got to take a break from job searching because the bride and groom had organized a mini-van and a few days excursion for the American wedding guests visiting Uganda, and there was extra space. The 8 of us left Kampala on a Tuesday morning and drove west all day long. We arrived at a beautiful spot in the SW corner of Uganda at sunset, in the rain, and got out of the minivan and into a motorboat. We were taken out to an island in the middle of Lake Bunyoni which was a small "eco-camp" with really great food, cold drafty cabins, composting toilets, and outdoor showers. kind of luxurious actually :) i think it's the first time i've ever paid money specifically charged to cover the costs of using water. it really was a pretty place, but hard as hell to get to, so i'm not in a huge hurry to get back there.

The next morning, we all took it easy, some people kayaked in the lake, but not this girl...i have a few friends who've picked up schistosomiasis from lakes in Africa, and i wasn't interested. around noon we all piled back in the boat, and back in the minivan for another 5-6 hour drive up the mountains on terrible almost non-existent roads, to go approx 100Km to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. One of the premier national parks in Uganda, it costs $500 to "track gorillas" which means hiking around for hours trying to figure out where a family/troop might be resting and eating for a little while. Your park permit allows you 1 hour of gorilla watching time, then you hike out again! It really is quite a unique experience though... very different from the game drive safaris in Kenya and Tanzania that I've been on. There's only 3 places in the whole world to encounter the endangered Mountain Gorillas -- and this particular area of SW Uganda/NW Rwanda/SE Congo has the three parks. Although, no one is rushing to Congo -- we've had friends go from the Rwanda side, because flying to Kigali and driving just a few hours south is a much easier trip than the long drive across Uganda to Bwindi.

My pictures, unfortunately, all came out blurry. Seems my little Nikon digital wasn't up to the challenge of capturing moving primates close up. But I watched them sit on tree branches, and strip bark off smaller stalks, and eat the mushy insides of the tree. There were 2 large silverback males, a big female who charged our group to protect her baby, and of course the cutest baby gorilla resting on its mother's back. they are loud and they are very clear. Don't get too close. So we didn't. But we watched for our hour and it was really incredible. I think something like 4% or less of our DNA separates humans from gorillas -- and when you get close you start seeing how intelligent, communicative, and social they are, also how big and scary and dangerous. i crouched down low most of the time in their presence, I didn't want to upset anyone.

When we left Bwindi on Friday morning it took over 12 hours to drive back to Kampala. That was rough -- but I had a great time! and you get over the car sickness and soreness pretty quickly. About a week later, in early June, Dan had a day off for a Ugandan National holiday, so we drove to Lake Mburo National Park for two nights, to stay in a posh "eco-lodge" that some of his colleagues had recommended. It was also beautiful -- less green and hilly (Bwindi's a tropical rainforest in the mountains) -- this was the flat brown scrub of the savannah -- much more similar to Kenya. We saw all kinds of antelope type animals: eland, impala, topi, bushbuck, and zebras. Wow were the zebras beautiful. Its the only park in Uganda that has zebras. We walked around the marsh in the morning with a guide and saw hippo footprints in the mud, and even heard two hippos fighting in the marshy water, although they were hidden behind the tall grasses. Water buffalo, all kinds of birds, and hyena dens (Dan saw one hyena, but it was too quick for me) anyway, we relaxed and got out of Kampala a few days and it was really very nice. We met a great Danish family who had lived here for years and were on their way back to Denmark. Who knows when we'll get another R&R break again? We're thinking maybe Cape Town in August... I'll keep you posted

Happy Summer Solstice! Hey, it must be the parade in Seattle... Internet's not so easy, and once we move to our new house next week it might get even more difficult, so I thought I'd write now while I can. I didn't realize its been so long. Dan's settled into to his new job, he's really liking it! I've networked and talked to a lot of interesting people, and I think I'm going to start working in the private sector :) Surprise. It turns out that lots of international health project money goes to private contracting firms (lots goes to NGOs too... which is the side I know a little bit more about) so I'm going to switch over to the dark side for the short term and see how things go. Should be interesting if nothing else!

We've finally been successful in arranging for the moving van to get our things from the house in Gulu and bring it all down to Kampala. There's a friend of ours who just got started working for the NGO that's taking over the lease on our house, so she moved in and has been "housesitting" our stuff for the last few weeks, which was a relief, since leaving the house empty was a little unsettling. If all goes well, by next weekend we'll not only have our stuff and start unpacking in the new house, but we'll have bought a car as well! So I'll have to get better at the driving on the right side of the car, the left side of the road, in crazy downtown traffic jams no less.

Let me tell you about this house... unfortunately, it turns out that uploading photos is pretty much impossible, the internet here can't really handle it... so when we're home in the fall, if we see you, ask to see pictures! The house is a ranch style.. 1 story.. with a wide wrap around porch and a terraced garden! We have an incredible view of the city from the top of one of the hills, and a steady breeze all the time. There's something like 6 bedrooms, 3 in the main part and 3 more in the "servants quarters" which most likely, we'll never use or see. the kitchen is big, so is the living room area, which was important so that we were able to have people over :) so, who's coming to visit?

anyway there's not much more to report right now. hope all is well where you are! enjoy your summer!

hellloooooo! i'm in a place with a fast connection and some free time. it might be the first time in six months i can say that. sorry for you die hard readers who've been a little disappointed in our lack of chat lately. we definitely have news. and i'll try to share some pics too, since you haven't seen us in a LONG TIME :) we've moved to Kampala, officially as of yesterday. so we're in the capital city -- not quite in the house yet, that will be at the end of June -- but in a studio apartment for now. Let me catch ya'll up

Gulu was good. just kind of not super accessible. its a 6 hour drive between Gulu and Kampala and that's even now, that they are fixing the road! We worked all the time. I worked about 11 hours every day, and most weekends days as well. we had a short amount of time together at night where we'd cook some dinner, read a little or watch something on a laptop, and crash out! At Christmas we had a few days off and went with a few friends to Murchison Falls National park in Northern Uganda and took a boat ride on the Nile River -- did a morning game drive -- and mostly relaxed by the pool (not to mention had a few drinks at the swim up bar...)
It was a much needed break. For New Years we stayed in Kampala and caught up with a few people here -- I got sick actually and had a 101 fever on NYE... so no partying for us, but we heard the party going on next door all night long :) so that was something. And there were fireworks going off in downtown Kampala that were so pretty!

At the end of January we went to Zanzibar, Tanzania for a week R&R break from Gulu. We spent a few gorgeous quiet days on the beach by the Indian Ocean...and it was so great to do absolutely nothing for a little while! When we got back I resigned from my position and took a consultancy in Kampala. So I spent march and april working on the project, and in the meantime Dan was selected for a promotion within his office, so now we're in Kampala and I'm job searching yet again...

that's the short version. i'll try to be better about posting now that internet's a little better. and i've got to see what kind of pictures i can share --

Greetings from Gulu. I know it's been awhile, but we're here and all is well. After a few days of orientation in Kampala -- which by the way, I'm not even sure I can describe for you. My first night, Dan took me to the Indian restaurant on the roof of the three story shopping mall... and we spent the weekend shopping at places that reminded us of Target, Costco, etc. You can get anything here. One afternoon over the weekend, we relaxed by the swimming pool at the American Club in Kampala with some colleagues of Dans, but it was too chilly to get in the water. And, after a seven hour drive, we arrived in Gulu as it was getting dark and starting to pour. By the time I got inside our house, I was drenched.

Our guard at the gate couldn't hear our horn because of the rain, so I got out of the car (passengers sit on the left side!) opened the gate myself to let our car inside, and waded through the flood that was our driveway. Feels like home... we have a bed and some stuff in the kitchen. We are borrowing a table and chairs for now. we'll have time to settle in, most of our things haven't arrived yet.

Tuesday, my second night here in Gulu, I went for a driving test... practicing driving on the right side of the car and the left side of the road was harder than I thought. Plus the roads have turned to a muddy mess with all the rain. For now, I have access to an automatic, so that's one less thing to worry about, but I still managed to get stuck in the mud, at quite an interesting angle, twice -- and when I did get home I realized my cell phone was missing. Somehow we think it fell out into the mud when we switched drivers (there was no way i was going to be able to get us unstuck!) so now i am in the process of obtaining a new phone number

work is good. the town is quiet. i just wanted to say hi and let you know we're ok. more later. much love --

Hey there! I thought I better send an update, for all those who are curiously awaiting news from our end. We left Freetown a few days after the last blog post, and we stopped in Spain for a belated honeymoon trip on our way back to the States. It was a wonderful week, two nights in Barcelona and 3 nights in the Pyrennees (near Vielha, a little ski town in the mountains) It was beautiful, and relaxing, and perfect weather (Not Hot at all!) and we had a fabulous time. Dan has the camera with him in Uganda right now, so next time I'll try posting a picture of the mountains. We'd go back there in a second, and we recommend it to anyone who's interested!

When we got home (a week or so before our luggage) we were able to visit with family, even attend my grandmother's 90th birthday party! (see pics) and get our container ready for its 3 month journey across the Atlantic Ocean, down around the Cape of Good Hope (i think its still called that?) and up the Indian Ocean to Mombasa, Kenya, where our container of household goods will then travel overland up to Gulu, Uganda and hopefully arrive at our front door. We had about 2500 pounds of stuff, we were allowed a shipment of 5000 pounds, but there was so much that we weren't sure about, so we went "minimalist" to see how things go.

It was a busy couple of weeks. And, Dan flew out to Kampala (the capital of Uganda) about two weeks ago. He's been in meetings, and had briefings from all his co-workers. He sounds pretty excited about Kampala. There's a movie theater, all kinds of restaurants, and he found out there's a place that makes Bagels. So it's a little different than living in West Africa. He found a shop called "Game" that's basically a target, and he's going there this weekend to buy our stove and fridge. Our house in Gulu is really empty. But not for long hopefully! And I'll be there in about a week and a half to join him there. I got a job, working with an organization called Action Against Hunger, so I needed to wait until my work permits got processed and everything seems set now!

We'll keep you posted, uganda's supposed to have lots of parks to visit, mountains to climb, gorillas to watch, rivers and lakes...hopefully we'll see some interesting things and be able to share them with you.

Gulu is on Google Earth, if you want to look it up. Its pretty much straight north from Kampala, about 5-7 hour drive I heard, depending on the weather and the driver. Its the end of the rainy season right now, Dan's said it rains for a little while every few days, and he's found it to be less humid than Sierra Leone. There was about 20 years of conflict in Northern Uganda, with camps for all the internally displaced people (IDPs) and lots of NGO/humanitarian activity to aid those living in the camps. In 2006 the security situation began to improve, with peace talks and mediations, and the involvement of the Government of South Sudan. Currently, the IDPs are returning to their villages slowly and steadily, and there's hope for maintaining peace and security in the region.

More soon. I just wanted to give you an idea of how we are. Things are good! Hope all is well with you. Much love --