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Do not consider painful what is good for you.

-Euripides

Well... I'm home: Tyler, Texas, USA.

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Here's the very very short version of a long story:

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While I haven't written about it (it's not the most fun topic for a blog), I've been having stomach/intestinal problems for quite a while now. After tests, doctors, pills, and still more feeling terrible, Peace Corps sent me home.

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In a large part, the decision to come home was actually mine; there are a lot of things I wish I could have finished up in Uganda, but doing those things while continuing to feel the way I feel would not have been very fun at all. While it was ultimately up to me to say that I'd had enough, the Peace Corps medical staff in Uganda did recommend that I leave, and the Peace Corps medical staff in Washington DC were very quick to approve that recommendation. So, I was officially "medically separated" from Peace Corps Uganda on March 28th, and after one-two-three-four! flights, arrived at my parents' house in Tyler on March 29th!

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After first talking to Peace Corps about things, I did have a couple days back at my site to pack up and say my goodbyes there.

Last visit with my host family (this was actually earlier on in the month- so glad I got to see them again one last time!!!):

Saying farewell to some friends in a nearby village- a camera is a curious thing...

Last meeting with our Peer Educators (my counterpart Frank is also in the front row, left):

Last day at work, with my coworker Prossy, who always let me use the computer:

The night before I left my site I had a last supper with my favorite nuns. My last Ugandan meal- rice, greens, matooke, meat, fish, and coke- very fancy!

Cutting my "cake"

My favorite nuns of all time- Sr. Zitona, Sr. Scholastica, me, & Sr. Nankya

I also got to hang out with several of my best friends (other volunteers) right before I left- Sarah, Amanda, and Erin even came to the airport with me, as did Frank, my Ugandan counterpart. I'm confident that I will see all of them again, but it was still a difficult goodbye. My friends have been through just about everything with me (and I with them), and Frank and I have enjoyed working with each other immensely. I know that I'm doing what's best, but leaving so abruptly is just really hard- that's all there is to it. No matter how much I know it's right, it's still painful.

For now, I plan to hang out in Texas and get back on my feet health-wise! It's so wonderful to see my family again, and my mom is having a blast watching me thoroughly enjoy every bite of good ol' American food.

Just from the airport, first meal back at my house: veggie pizza and champagne! YUM!!!

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Since this blog was solely about Uganda, I suppose this is the last entry. (Well, unless I decide to go back and visit in a few years!) Thanks so much to all of my readers- it's been really fun to share my experiences with you, and I have so appreciated your comments and support! If I do anything exciting in the future (which I undoubtedly will...) I might start another blog for whatever that happens to be.

Until then...
-Jess