Weekend before Take-off

Hello Family and Friends!

As many of you know, I am going on a 3.5 week exploration of Uganda, Africa. Thanks to the Glory of God and His Mercy, as well as my WONDERFUL PARENTAL UNIT I will get to have the opportunity of a lifetime.I heard this cultural experience really changes lives and I cannot wait to come back a more enlightened and culturally rounded individual.

Total travel numbers are 28 students, 3 professor and about 15 students from the Makerere University School of business (so not to worry, we are a large group with international guards watching our every move). This was simply an overview of what to expect while I am in country. I am so pumped for this experience because I never really had the desire to study over seas for 6 months, which is normally how these study abroad programs work. This Uganda trip is a little less than a month and we get to travel all around the country. This study abroad opportunity is a 6 credit course and what is great is that we have completed all of our classroom hours while at Drake on Sunday nights- so while in country it is ALL EXPERIENCE. What's even more great is that the professors have taken the time to cater the trip to all of our majors so there are 2-3 events that cater to my focus of study.

We will be traveling all over the country in all 4 directions (north, south, east and west). Just a quick overview of the locations and events: Most of our time spent will be in Kampala-the capital of Uganda (while there we will stay in a Resort called "Red Hot Chili"), next we will head down south to Mbarara to visit a National Park, next we plan to head east to visit Lake Victoria (Africa’s largest lake, and the largest tropical lake in the world, and is Earth's second largest freshwater lake - Only North America's Lake Superior is larger), we will head way down south to shop on the Equator, and then head up North to visit Kabarega a LARGE national park. Some of the events that I am particularly excited for is the visiting of the Queen of Uganda, visiting the Jinja (source of the nile and the Bujagai water falls), and visiting different health care facilities.

As many of you know I am a health sciences major and plan to be the top administrator of a specialized health care clinic. In order to improve my global citizenship (As Drake's mission statement claims is an expectation of graduating from the University) my major focus will be on Uganda's health care system. Everything from the hygiene, sanitation and clean water implications to the type of insurance programs (or lack there of), to the operations of management.

Throughout my journey I just want to make you aware of my friends that are going as well because I will probably make reference to them throughout the duration of my blogging.

Matthew- My boyfriend of 2 yrs and some months. We get to share this experience together :)
Taylor & Carmen- My sorority sisters and (Taylor) is my housemate during the school year.
Brittney & Jackie- Two good friends :)

I am excited to embark on this journey in t-minus 3 days, and I am even more ecstatic for you to be able to share this experience with me! I will continue to update my blog as frequently as I possibly can to capture my entire experience and to be able to reflect in the years to come. I hope you look forward to my future blogs and please please please do not hesitate to comment! It will be nice to hear from all of you since this will be the only communication I will have. I will try and keep these short and sweet------ I love you all dearly! Please pray for us, Stay tuned and God Bless...

Love Danielle