A Ugandan Debate

Today was an unusual day to say the least. We woke up at 6 so that we could leave by 7 to get a to a school debate at a school an hour away at 8. Everything went according to plan until we arrived at the school and waited and waited and waited and waited. We waited until almost 10:30. We had to wait for the other competing schools to arrive, and for them to set up for the debate. Good thing we showed up so early right?

They have a saying at the house: TIA or “This Is Africa”. It’s basically a reminder to expect the unexpected and to have a good attitude about everything. In Uganda, everyone is very laid back about everything, especially time. I am starting to learn that leaving at 7 really means 7:15, and the debate starts at 8 really means the debate starts at 10:30. Those of you who know me well know that I fit in perfectly with this!

Anyways, the first part of the debate was actually a trivia competition. A girl named Brittany from Washington D.C. (fun fact about Brittney, she is a film major and helped to shoot the last Taking Back Sunday video) and I were on a team with 5 Ugandan boys from the school hosting the event, Mpoma. A Ugandan named Benon (the Empower A Child program director) was also on our team.

The boys on our team were very friendly and nice, and they had tons of questions about America and our education system. It was really fun just to chat with them and get to know them some. For a while, it felt like I was chatting with friends from home that I have know for a while.

The trivia turned out to be very frustrating. The man reading the questions was impossible to understand. When he first started talking, I told one of the boys in my group that they would have to translate the Luganda for me, to which he responded “He is speaking English”. Oops.

Additionally, many of the questions were worded differently making them difficult to comprehend, and many of them were just plain wrong.

For example, in Uganda:
1. The sun can not burn you
2. The Adam’s apple is made out of the larynx and not the hyoid bone
3. The Nile River is the king of the sea, not Poseidon
4. The Potter’s field is not the place bought with the money given to Judas after he betrayed Jesus.

Anyways, regardless of all of this, it was still a lot of fun to spend time with the boys on my team. We ended up having to leave before the actual debate even started so we could get home for lunch.

Lunch was rice and zucchini. I’m pretty sure I will have eaten my weight in rice by the time I leave. We have rice in at least one meal a day, usually two, sometimes all three. Brown rice, yellow rice, white rice. Good thing I like rice!

This afternoon was stormy, which eliminated our trip to the beach. Instead, we went to Green City, which is a local shopping mall about 15 minutes away to watch a movie. I was expecting the movies to be really old, but they weren’t that dated: Angels & Demons, Terminator, I Love You, Man, and something with 12 in the title. We saw Angels & Demons, which I had already seen, but it was still suspenseful for me the second time…I am such a nerd!

To continue to be open about my inner nerd, the movie theater had a poster up for the newest Harry Potter movie. I was really bummed about missing it while I am gone, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to see it while I am here.

We also had some Ugandan ice cream. It is decent, but definitely not as good as American ice cream. It also leaves an odd after taste in your mouth. Someone told me this is because of the milk in the ice cream. Ugandan milk isn’t nearly as processed as ours.

However, everything is so cheap in Uganda. Today I bought my ice cream, my ticket, and a bottle of water for 16,000 shillings or 8 dollars. You can’t even see a movie at those prices in Texas!

Tonight I helped in the kitchen making a birthday cake for Diana. She is a Ugandan who turned 20 today. I was really only helping a little. Your first week here, you get a pass, but every week after that you have a certain chore to do one day a week.

On a side note, as Ally has pointed out to me, being gone for so long as confused my driving sides. Ugandans drive on the right, we drive on the left. Sorry for the confusion. In my defense, it’s kind of hard to tell what side of the road people drive on here. There are so many holes in the road that it’s kind of like a free for all for everyone. The driving here is crazy! Everyone cuts each other off, no one waits, and everyone breaks at the very last minute. Its nuts! The roads are also very confusing. There’s no way I’d be able to get around her, even with a GPS!

Tomorrow, we are going back to Kyampisi for a church service. I am sooo excited about seeing a Ugandan church service. Also, rumor has it that our regular church services are at the Watoto children’s choir church. To say I am ultra excited about that would be an understatement.

Lastly, today’s word: Oltya (o-lee-o-te-ya) which means “How are you?”. It's commonly used as a greeting here.

Living the Life,
Jenna

Sorry It's So Long!

Today was a really eye opening day. We woke up this morning and went to a village about an hour away called Kyampisi. The village was hugely affected by the war fare that occurred in Uganda about a decade ago and the village is still working on rebuilding.

Today the boys worked on building a nursery school for the village to use. The girls and the Ugandans went around the different village homes and talked with people, shared the gospel, and invited the people to the local church, which is run by a few of the Ugandans in the Empower A Child organization.

We went with groups of 3 Americans and 1 Ugandan. My Ugandan was a girl named Amanda, who I really like. She is very funny.

Anyways, we ended up only getting to talk to 3 different families because most of the people were out working in their gardens, which is how they feed their families and make a living.

The first couple we talked to was an older couple. They are raising 6 of their orphaned grandchildren on their own. I wish it wasn’t rude to take pictures of their houses because you would have been shocked. It was very small, very run down, and very dirty. It was probably the size of a family living room in America and 8 people lived there! The thing that shocked me the most was how kind these people were. They invited us in and talked to us for about 15 minutes or so. The man just recently became a Christian, and his wife is still considering it, but she has promised us she will come back to the church on Sunday when we come. We also prayed for their family and her salvation before we left. As we were leaving, the woman gave each one of us 3 passion fruit, so 12 total. Amanda said we had to take them because it would be rude not to. I was blown away by how giving this woman was. That is a lot of food for the circumstances her family is in, and she and her family have nothing compared to American standards, but she was still willing to give to people she had just met. I wish more American had such a giving attitude.

We talked and prayed with another older woman who was raising 4 of her orphaned grandchildren on her own. She again had a pretty run down home and when we asked her what we could pray for her about, all she asked was for us to praise God for the blessing He has given her through her children and grandchildren. Amazing!

The final man we talked to lived in a literal hut. The first 2 houses had cement walls with a straw roof, but this one was an actual hut with bamboo siding, etc. He was very nice and told us that he wanted to be saved, but was scared to come to the church in the village because he was afraid they would try to convert him from his traditional family religion of Catholicism. Not that Catholics are Christians, but I guess in his mind they aren’t. We explained to him that having a relationship with Jesus is about the relationship and not about the religious traditions. He and his wife are both coming to the church on Sunday. I’m excited to see what might come of that. Please pray for them!

On a side note, trekking through the jungle made it easy for the mosquitoes to find me today. I’m pretty sure the mosquitoes here are on steroids. I have about 5 huge welts on my legs from them. They are probably at least twice the size of regular mosquito bites. Good news is they don’t itch as much.

After we went around the village, we came back and to the main part of town and played with kids on their break from recess. Most of the kids were missing pants or shirts, and they were all very dirty, yet very happy. I was stunned to see the happiness they had in the conditions they were in.

After playing we ate some lunch prepared by the village woman and our house chef. We had porridge, which is not really porridge but corn meal, water, and a little bit of sugar mixed together. I know that sounds terrible, but its really not as bad as it sounds. I definitely wouldn’t add it to my list of favorite foods though. We also had the usual rice and beans, and what the Ugandans call pancakes, or pani in luganda. They are really not pancakes at all. Rather they are mashed matooke (the unripe, green bananas) formed into small circles and fried. They are really good I think. I’m going to try to figure out how to make them so I can make some for you when I get home.

After we had finished eating we gave our leftovers to the kids in the village. Some were coming home from school and some of them had spent the morning with us because their family is too poor to afford school. The kids looked like dogs eating out of a food dish. I know that sounds terrible, and I don’t mean it too, but it is really the best description I can give. Colin, one of the Ugandans, told me that that is the only meal most of the kids will have all day. They were so hungry and so appreciative of the leftovers we had given them. It was really so very sad.

In case I haven’t already told you, Empower A Child also does sponsorships, similar to Compassion International. It helps to pay for the kid’s school, school supplies, food, and healthcare. The difference between this program and Compassion’s is that it is only $30 a month, and I can meet with and take pictures of your kids while I am here. I can even give them gifts from you if you would like to arrange something. I wish you could have seen these kids today. I have already made the decision to pick up one, and maybe two, for sponsorship. I hope that you will pray about this opportunity and let me know if you and your family would also be willing to sponsor a child within the Empower A Child organization.

After leaving the village, we came home and rested at the house a bit before heading to another school to play basketball. In protest of basketball because I am so terrible, I brought a soccer ball. One of the Ugandans, Edwin, and I played soccer with some of the kids in the school yard. Edwin used to play professional soccer in Uganda. He is extremely good. It was so much fun to just kick around the ball and play soccer in the way most of the world plays it: in the streets with no rules.

One of the boys in the yard talked to me for a while and told me I was the best girl soccer player he had ever seen. He was literally shocked by my talent. This made me laugh, because as Brett and Max will tell you, I’m not very good at all. After talking to him for a bit, I found out he thought I was so good because girls don’t usually play soccer in Uganda. It is considered a boys sport. It was nice to feel good about myself for a while anyways :).

Tonight I went back to the market and bought some things that I forgot, like washcloths and hair ties. One thing I forgot that I have yet to find in Uganda? Headbands. Like the stretchy cloth kind that you slide on. It would be nice to have here because your hair gets greasy and gets in your face constantly. Anyone wants to mail me a couple? It would be greatly appreciated.

I also bought more minutes for my phone. My phone number is 011256783596204 but its about .20 a text and .25 cent a minute for me and .20 a text and I don’t even know how many cents a minute for you, so lets stick to e-mail and save the phone for emergencies and times when you really miss me :).

Tomorrow we are going to participate in a school debate/trivia match. I have been placed on the team, but I don’t really know what’s expected of me. It should be an interesting morning. In the afternoon, we are going to Little Beach. Don’t worry mom, I won’t get in the water!

Also, in case you’re wondering, every time I go to take a shower in the evenings, the water stops working, I so have been bathing with a basin full of water, a cup, and a washcloth. Again, its really not as bad as it sounds, I’ve actually kind of gotten used to it.

I do, however, find it virtually impossible to feel completely clean in Africa. The good news is, everyone else is pretty much in the same boat, so I fit in well.

Sorry today’s post was so long. But today was such an eye opening day and I wanted to share it with you!

Feeling dirty,
Jenna

P.S. Today’s word-boda boda (pronounced how it’s written)-These are motorized bikes. Tons of people ride them here and they are everywhere in the city. The even have boda boda taxis!

P.P.S. Another fun Ugandan fact: Uganda used to be owned by the British Empire, so they do a lot of things British. For example, the steering wheels in cars are on the right side, but they drive on the left side like we do in America. It’s very unusual!

Day Two

Last night, I only slept a little. I think my body is still on American time. I was so tired all day, and then, the second I laid down I felt wide awake. It was also my first night to sleep under a mosquito net. Life seems much more exciting when sleeping under a mosquito net.

Today was an awesome day. We went to Sanyu babies home today. It is a home for children under 3 years of age who have been orphaned. I know some of you back home have heard of the Watoto children’s choir. I found out today that if the children in the home are not adopted, then when they turn 3, they join the Watoto children’s choir. The home is absolutely awesome. We feed kids, hold kids, change kids, dress kids, bathe kids, and love on kids. It is right up my alley. I could do that all day everyday. The home also does adoption, and a few of the other volunteers that are there are adopting kids and are waiting for their adoption papers to go through. It was interesting to talk to them about their adoptions.

The kids are absolutely adorable. I am 95% sure that one of my children will come from this home. I know that is a bold statement, but I have always know that at least one of my children will be adopted, and I am so in love with this place and what they are doing there.

Also, Nic and Jo, you should get your next kid from here too. Seriously.

After time at the baby’s home, we went home for lunch and then we went to Ramand Juvenile home. The home is for 3 groups of youth. One group has actually committed crimes, one group is homeless youth that the cops have pulled off the streets and placed there, and one is children whose parents no longer want to raise them because of money or behavioral issues.

On a side note, many of the “criminals” are not guilty of the crimes they committed. Furthermore, most of the children are there for stealing, and many of them steal to pay for things like food and school.

This afternoon we played games, one of the boys in our group gave his testimony and then we broke up into groups and talked with the boys. I was in a group with boys named Fred, Robert and two other names that I cannot pronounce. Two of the boys were Muslims, but they had many questions about Jesus and the Bible.

The language difficulties between us made things a bit difficult, but we are going back every Thursday, and I am excited to see what this growing relationship can bring. Please pray for open hearts and language barriers to be broken.

When we got back, I walked to the market down the street and checked out the available foods at a Ugandan grocery store. I also exchanged my money and set up my phone. I’m not quite sure what my Ugandan phone number is yet, but I will let you know when I can.

Also, tonight I was excited to discover that everyone here loves Skip Bo! Me and a boy named Rawles dominated.

Tomorrow we are going into a local village to help build a nursery. We will also be playing with children and sharing the Gospel with some of the locals. Please pray for opened hearts for the people and clear words from me!

Trying to figure out how many children I’ll be able to fit into my suitcase to bring them home with me,
Jenna

P.S. I am going to start teaching you a new Luganda (one of the main local languages) word everyday. Today’s word:

Monzugu (mon zoo goo)-white person

Pretty much every child calls you this when they see you, and they think it’s really funny.

P.P.S. It’s looking like I won’t be able to post any more pictures. The internet connection is much to slow. I apologize. At least you’ll have something to look forward to when I get back!

First Day In Uganda

Today was awesome! I landed in Entebbe, Uganda at about 7:45 am, 11:45 pm your time. I got my luggage, got through customs and met Ivan and Edith, two Empower-A-Child volunteers who are from Uganda. They drove me from Entebbe to Uganda, which takes about an hour. Edith explained some local food and customs to me. When I got here, everyone was getting ready to go out to the site, so I literally dropped my bags on a bed, put on some much needed deodorant and loaded up into the vans. The first site we went to today was Katawalma children’s hospital, which is really not a hospital at all. It’s actually a rehab hospital for children who have had surgeries and need therapy. I got to see how they make the wheelchairs, walkers, special shoes, crutches, and leg braces. It was right up my alley, and really interesting to see how assistive devices differ from our country to this one. Unfortunately, today was a national holiday called Martyrs Day, so none of the therapists were there. I can’t wait to see some therapy. After a tour, we played games, sang songs, and colored with the kids. It was a lot of fun. I also got to talk with a Ugandan guy from our group named Felix. He is going to school to be a rehabilitationist, which from his description sounds a lot like occupational therapy. We talked about his case load and the kids he sees out in the field. He said I can probably go out with him some to do some therapy. I am super excited about that.

After that we went home and had lunch. Cheese and tomato sandwiches, it sounds weird, I know, but it was actually really good. After lunch we headed to Good Choices school. The holiday meant no school for the kids, so we played with them and helped them clean up their school. I ended up picking up trash out of the mud for about an hour and taking trash cans back and forth from the yard to the cemetery in the back where they burn trash. We also brushed dirt and mud off of all the sidewalks and floors with some of the worst brooms I’ve ever seen. Needless to say, I was really dirty when we finished.

After that, we went to a Muslim school to play a basketball game against the high school’s basketball team. The school doesn’t know that the organization is a Christian one, and the organization uses games and other similar activities to get inside the school and build connections to help spread the gospel. It was awesome. Unfortunately, I was so tired that I was literally falling asleep standing up, so some of the staff made me go take short nap in the van.

When we got back, I had my orientation and unpacked my stuff. Dinner was chapatti which is like a buttery tortilla. They like to put rice, meat, cheese, tomatoes, guacamole, peppers on it, similar to our fajitas, only less spicy.

The running water isn’t working tonight, which means that I took a shower out of a bucket. It was very Africa, but at that point, I was so dirty, I didn’t care. It’s currently 11 pm here and we are getting up early to go to the babies home. I am really excited about this site. But I am heading to bed because I am in desperate need of some sleep!

Loving Uganda,
Jenna

P.S. Today I found that I am going on safari from June 26th to June 28th. This means that I’ll be on an African safari on my birthday! It doesn’t get much cooler than that.

P.P.S. Laura, tell your brother thanks for the tip about the router. Everyone was so excited about it and its working great!

24 Things In 24 Hours

I'd like to share with you 24 things I learned over the past 24 hours:

1. I learned that I won a Kindle! Those of you who read my blog before my trip (all 3 of you) know that I have been wanting a Kindle for quite a while. I even wrote about how I wanted one in a few of my other, older blogs.

A few weeks ago, I went to a church conference called Catalyst One Day. There were a ton of people there and they only gave away one kindle for free...and I got a call yesterday on the way to the airport that I was the one!

The only bad part is that now I won't get to play with it until August, but still, totally awesome.

You can check out Catalyst's website HERE and you can see what a Kindle is HERE.

2. I learned that young children should not be allowed on international flights. You guys know me and you know I love kids, but I do not love kids who cry throughout a 9 hour flight and I certainly do not love kids who allow me less than 30 minutes of sleep.

3. I learned why TV shows make fun of coach seats. Normally, I fly Southwest were all the seats are equal. There is a definite difference between coach, business class, and first class on British airways.

4. I learned that the new airport rule is that not only are you only allowed liquids in 3 oz or smaller bottles, these bottles must all fit inside a sandwich sized plastic bag. I had to throw away one of my bottles of sunscreen. My pasty white self needed that bottle!

5. I learned that no matter what you say with a British accent, it will sound good. It could be the ugliest sentence or word in the English language, and a Brit could make it sound good. Its just that simple.

6. I learned not to eat suspicious looking yogurt given to you on the plane as it will make you sick to your stomach all day.

7. I learned how to navigate the London subway system. It think its much easier than driving!

8. I learned that Canadians are friendly. Today, I helped a Canadian woman find Kensington Palace. Then we started chatting and ended up taking the palace tour together. She was probably 60 something, gave me a caramel candy and called me love. It was wonderful.

9. I learned that the road signs in London are much less visible than they are in Texas. I found walking around London to be much more difficult than taking the subway.

10. I learned that in London, if you just walk around for a while, you'll find something interesting to do and eventually, you'll get where you were trying to go in the first place. Today I set out to find Kensington Palace and found the Natural History Museum and Hyde Park first before stumbling upon my original destination.

11. I learned that the water in the Princess Diana Memorial fountain is really cold:



12. I learned that Brit's are very friendly. Everyone of them answered all my questions with a smile.

13. I learned that the Kensington Palace is a beautiful and historical place (see below). I really enjoyed touring it. I got to see a lot of rooms in the palace, and they had a cool exhibit on Princess Diana's famous outfits. I used to love Princess Diana when I was younger, so it was cool to see that and to visit her memorial (see above)

14. I learned that no matter how cool you are, when you take an audio tour, you are automatically going to look like a nerd. I don't think there are any exceptions to this rule. If I could Photoshop, I would Photoshop an ultra cool celebrity wearing audio tour gear and prove it to you, but I can't, so you'll just have to trust me.

15. I learned that in general, Europeans are 92% cooler than Americans. I can't yet prove that statistic, but I'm pretty sure its true.

16. I learned that the Brit's were nice enough to put writing on the ground to tell you which direction you should look for cars from. I kept trying to look for cars coming in the direction they would be coming from if I were in the States! Whoever came up with the "look right" and "look left" signs on the pavement: genius. You probably saved my life today.

17. I learned that parks in the middle of cities are beautiful because they are unexpected and I suspect because the people in the city appreciate them. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens were wonderfully beautiful.

18. I learned that you should confirm that a person you are going to ask a question of actually speaks English before you end up having a confusing, broken English conversation with them. I wish I wasn't so inept at other lanuages.

19. I learned some British translations: litter-trash, loo-restroom, holiday-vacation, lift-elevator, tube-subway, bless you-have a good day, bugger-rascal, peckish-hungry

20. I learned that you should time your trips out of the airport better so that you don't sit in the terminal for 4 hours waiting for your flight and having to make lists of things you learned so you don't die of boredom.

21. I learned that there was a small group of college kids on my flight from Dallas to London that will also be on my flight from London to Uganda. They are going to do mission work in a small town outside of Kampala. They are not with my group, but I hope I get to sit by them and talk with them some more about what they will be doing.

22. I learned the flip flops I was wearing are not ideal for walking around London.

23. I learned that the architecture in London is gorgeous. All the building are so pretty!

24. I learned that all the extra money you donated to Empower A Child will be used to help build a youth vocational training center. You are helping kids in Uganda learn a vocation and end the cycle of poverty in their families and communities...I started tearing up writing that. Seriously, you guys are AWESOME!

The next time you hear from me, I'll be in Uganda.

Loving London,
Jenna

P.S. I know that technically for you, it hasn't been 24 hours since I left, but over here, its 8 PM, so it has been for me.

P.P.S. In case you're wondering, if I've done my math right, Uganda will be 8 hours ahead of you guys.

P.P.P.S. I'm trying to load my pictures from today so within the hour, you should be able to see them HERE

Sorry for all the PS's but I didn't want to ruin my list of 24.

The Journey Begins!

So today’s the big day. I’m currently in the car on the way to the Dallas Fort Worth airport, but by the time you read this, I’ll probably be in the air on the way to London. I’m spending the day in London tomorrow before flying the rest of the way to Uganda.

I must admit, the nerves are getting to me a bit, but I’m more excited nervous, I can’t wait to get this adventure started!

Before I go, I wanted to take the time to thank some people who have made this trip possible:

1. First of all, I’d like to thank you. If you’re reading this, unless you’re some internet stalker, you probably know me and have supported me in some way. Some of you gave financially, some of you gave of your time, some of you gave in other ways, some of you are praying, some of you listened to me talk about my trip, some of you helped me see that I wasn’t crazy for wanting to go, all of you loved and supported me and without you, I wouldn’t be on my way, so thank you for whatever you contributed.

2. Thanks to Nic, Brett, and Brian for filling out my reference forms, I don’t know what you said in them, but at least some of it must have been good, because they’re letting me come for a bit.

3. Thanks to Brett, Nic, Charlotte, and Mrs. Evans for helping to organize the finances of this adventure.

4. While I’m at it, thanks to those of you who gave financially, whether you gave $10 or $1300. I was about $2150 over my goal. That is incredible. All of that money is going to benefit the Empower-A-Child organization, and your gifts made that possible. Seriously, I can not express enough how overwhelmed I was by your generosity in a not so great economy. You guys are awesome!

5. Special thank to the Guthrie, Arana, and Spruill families. I didn’t really have that much to sell in my garage sale, but your donations filled up my entire yard and helped me raise over 450 dollars!

6. Thanks to those of you who have committed to pray for me. This trip could not and will not be successful without prayer. Your prayers are sure going to help when things get hard and I get homesick. Thank you in advance for caring enough about me to pray for me. It really means a lot.

7. Thanks to Nic, Jo, Brett, Amanda, Brian, Chastity, and David. I told you about this trip when it was still just an idea and rather than treating me like I was crazy, you listened to me, talked me through it, and prayed for me about it. You’re support means more to me than you will ever know.

8. Thanks to my roommates and friends in San Marcos. You prayed for me when I didn’t think the finances were going to come through, you helped me prepare my letters, you never questioned my decision, and you got just as excited as I did when checks came in. You guys are such a blessing to my life.

9. Thanks to Shelby for helping me out on Thursday while I was preparing. When I woke up Thursday morning I was feeling extremely stressed out about all I had to do. After praying about it, Shelby called literally 5 minutes later and volunteered to help me run errands all afternoon. It was truly an answer to my prayers and a comfort knowing that God is looking out for all aspects of this trip. Shelby, I know you were bummed about not being able to give more, but seriously, you’re willingness to give of your time meant so much to me. Thank you so much!

10. Thanks to mom and dad for being so supportive. I know it’s a pretty scary thing to send your kid to Africa. You probably could have raised a much bigger fuss than you did. You probably could have chained me to a chair and refused to let me go like George suggested. Or done something a little more sneaky like “losing” my birth certificate so I couldn’t get my passport. Either way, you didn’t. You raised a much smaller fuss than I expected. You probably paid for more small items (and big) from last minute trips to the store than either of us realize (just wait until the credit card bill comes in :)). Thanks for all the money, for helping me pack, for helping with paperwork, for driving me 3 hours and back to the airport, and for supporting my trip even though you’re not too terribly found of the idea. The way I see it, it’s kind of your fault I’m going. If you guys had done a crappier job of raising me, I probably wouldn’t care so much about other people. So way to go.

I’m just kidding, but seriously, you guys are the best parents ever. I love you!

11. Last but not least, a special thanks goes to Ally. Even though you piss me off sometimes, you’ve done more for this trip then anyone else. Trips back and forth to the church to drop off checks, bringing garage sale donations to San Marcos, staying up really late and getting up really early to put together the garage sale, dealing with crazy garage sale junkies, helping me pack, going to REI to help me find some “special” items, and running last minute errands. You’ve done it all and you’re the best sister a girl could ask for. Love you!

Also, thanks for writing that letter and making me look like a crying dork in the airport. You're not half as a bad sister as you think you are.

Actually, you're not bad at all...you're wonderful!

I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you’re reading this, you’ve probably done something for my trip, and even if it seems small to you, it’s a big deal to me. I wish I could do a better job of expressing my gratitude, but really, without you guys, this trip would not be happening. So thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! I love each and every one of you.

Leaving on a Jet Plane,
Jenna

P.S. Check out my other site HERE (click the here, dad) for a new video.

P.P.S. Jonathon please do not judge my skills. Its my first video and I did it really fast at the airport.

Changes

Yesterday, I gave back my keys to the Scott Street house. It was an extremely odd moment. I guess when I pictured moving out, I expected some kind of lavish goodbye. I don't really know what this lavish goodbye would have involved, perhaps some doves and that song from Remember the Titans playing as I walked out the door (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey Goodbye anyone?).

To me, moving away from San Marcos represents a huge change. Even though I havn't yet received my diploma, I'll be working a full time job when I return, and therefore, college is over. No more sleeping in class, no more staying up until 2 in the morning playing board games, no more coming home to roommates that I love. Even though I don't feel like it, I'm pretty sure the world expects me to be a grown up now.

I'm not really feeling that.

What's funny is that when I first went to Texas State, I wasn't such a fan. I came home every weekend. I thought about transferring. I only showered twice a week (Monday-Friday) in the dorms because I caught lesbians having what we will call "relations" in the shower on more than one occasion.

Then I made friends that made college bearable. Enjoyable even. I found things that I liked to do and eventually, I called San Marcos home and didn't want to come back to Georgetown.

College is great because its similar to playing house. You can pretend like you're a grown up, living on your own and making your own decisions and paying for things, but the reality is, if you screw it up, your parents will be there to clean up your mistakes.

Adulthood does not offer this kind of security.

To me handing over those keys represented the end of college and the beginning of adulthood. The closing of one book and the starting of another.

I guess I expected such a huge change to come with some dramatic showing.

It case your wondering, it didn't.

There were no doves, no music, no little men lining the sidewalk and waving goodbye.

But it was nice to say good bye to Whitney and her mom before I leave. The Senters family are really great people.

Accepting Adulthood,
Jenna