Goodbye Africa, for now...

I absolutely will miss Africa and the people I met along the way.

The journey was somewhat of an emotional rollercoaster full of laughter, tears, frustration, anxiety, and pure satisfaction. From my first few nights in Ghana when I had a huge cultural shock and wondered how I would get through the next 9 weeks, to my excitement of traveling to another country in Africa, to the healthcare product demonstrations that I gave to thrilled and extremely thankful obstetricians and midwives, to some lonely nights in my hotel room with weak Internet and limited TV, to the huge smiles and waves from the little children in the villages that were so excited to see an obruni (Ghana)/ mzungu (Uganda) – both mean white person, to the beauty and awe of the Ugandan and Ghanaian countrysides and their wildlife … I experienced a lot!

I am so thankful and blessed to have been given this opportunity. This experience has impacted my life forever.

I think this journey has been much like a marathon (I’m a marathon runner back in the states). There is a lot of preparation and excitement leading up to the big endeavor, spending months thinking about the best course of action. After the marathon/journey starts, there is an initial shock of, “Wow, I’m really doing this!” After the miles/weeks go on, you start to fall into a rhythm. You enjoy some miles, and others are pure mind over matter to get through. As you finish the last mile, though, you start to look back on the full race and feel so proud of your accomplishment, through the ups and downs. When looking back, you think, “Of course I would do that again!”

At times, this marathon was tough for me with my husband thousands of miles and many time zone hours away. However, I’m a better, stronger person because of this experience and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to (hopefully) have made an impact in the lives of African mothers.

See you all back in Ann Arbor very soon!!