I am in Africa!!

Big Ben

Buckingham Palace

The Queen driving by in her carriage!

First group picture in front of our house

Believe it or not...I AM IN AFRICA!!!! It for sure still feels like a dream. After leaving SLC we took a 2 1/2 hour flight to Dallas, and then we only had a 40 minute layover and our terminal was on the other side of the airport, so we got off the plane and went straight to our next one which was a 9 1/2 hour flight to London! I got a cold like 2 days before I left so I took 2 cold medicine when I got on the flight...but little did I know that they made you drowsy so I also took 2 sleeping pills....I was in the middle of watching sherlock holmes and next thing I knew I woke up with my head on my tray and the movie was over, so I took off my headphones and got a little more comfortable and I was OUT!! Jan said I was sleeping with my face straight against the pillow not really even laying on it....mouth open and drool coming out haha I woke up when they brought us breakfast and sort of ate it but felt completely drugged up and was out again until we landed in London. For like 2 hours my eyes were literally glazed over and I had no clue what was going on...definitely a good ice breaker for meeting new people. I for sure will never take 2 sleeping pills again and especially not with cold medicine! But I'm not going to lie....it was the BEST flight I have ever had!!

So then we land in London and get on the train to go into town, once we got off at our station we walk up stairs and first thing I see is Big Ben! I felt like I was in a dream (literally since I was still drugged up on sleeping pills) and we just sort of started walking down the street. The road was blocked off and there were policemen everywhere and actually straight up English soldier guys in the red with the tall black fluffy hats. So we asked an officer what was going on, and guess what he said.....Oh just that the QUEEN OF ENGLAND is on her way to open parliament and she'll be coming down the street in about 10 minutes. Yes, I saw the queen! Haha people are in London for years and never see her...we're there for 12 hours and see her TWICE! And I have a video to prove it. So a few minutes later all these soldiers riding black horses in straight lines start coming down the street and the royal band is playing and then the queen comes along in her carriage! And then followed by another carriage with Prince Henry. So after that we just kept walking down the street and went to Trafalgar square and then walked down to Buckingham Palace and as we almost get to the Palace...oh no big deal...here comes the queen and the royal procession again! Haha and this time we were even closer. I really still can't believe that happened... so we walked around some more and in the different parks and stuff and just around London...it seriously is like a different world there and with the whole horse brigade and the queen and everything I felt like we jumped in a time machine and were in a different era. I for sure want to go back again when I have more time. But after that we walked to Harrodd's SO HUGE!! and by this time we are like DEAD because of the flight and lack of real food and all the walking, and the fact that it was like 4am our time. So we got sandwiches and juice at the Harrod's deli and ate it outside and then headed back to the airport. We then got on another 8 1/2 hour flight to Kenya (I took just one sleeping pill this time and it did the trick so it was a pretty good plane ride) Then we finally were in Africa! Then we waited like 2 hours at the Kenya airport and then got on a plane and then had a one hour flight to Entebbe, Uganda!! We flew over Lake Victoria....it was HUGE!!!! Once we met up with our country directors we squished all of us and our luggage on to a bus and drove for another 5 hours to Mbale! We stopped on the way in Jinga and got food...strangely enough my first meal in Africa was Thai food...haha I got chicken curry and rice, but it was really good! I thought the 5 hour drive would be MISERABLE after traveling so long and being so jet lagged, but I was in so much awe the whole time it went by super fast! I couldn't believe the things I saw....we went from the city where people came right up to the open windows of the bus begging for money and trying to sell us meat and shoes and all sorts of things, and then past little tiny towns where people lived literally in dirt huts. I wish I could describe to you everything I saw today. Everywhere we would go everyone would stare at our bus and yell Mzunugu's!! (white people) and in some of the smaller towns they would literally chase after our bus. But we made it to our house and it is super nice for Africa!! But still completely NASTY for the states haha I am SO happy to be here though. We have a cook who makes us dinner Monday- Friday, so I had my first real African meal tonight and it was WAY good!
We talked for awhile about house and safety rules and our plan the next few days and then we set up our beds and mosquito nets, and today we get to take a freezing cold shower, but we only get 2 showers a week! And 1 hot one every other Sunday....definitely embracing the experience for all it's worth :)
It's way hot and humid and there are more bugs than there are in Hawaii, and I have never been so tired in my life, but I am SO happy and would not want to be anywhere else right now. I can't wait to experience more, and I hop you guys will be able to keep in touch and be a part of it with me. I have access to internet a lot so email and facebook me! I want to hear from all of you :)