Our first week in Uganda was meant to be a “luxury” week… a break from the treacherous African travel that was running our tanks empty. We were emotionally exhausted from experiencing so much poverty, Grace was tired of being a spectacle, our hearts were heavy with seeing the realities of post-colonialism, and we longed for western comforts.

After 20+ hours of travel, we landed in the Ugandan airport at 5am only to stand in a sleepy trance for 2+ hours awaiting our visas. After we thought we’d reached our limit, we then sat in a car for 13… yes, thirteen hours! We arrived at a rudimentary “lodge” deep in the jungle somewhere near the border of Rwanda and Uganda. We’ve never felt so remote or worn down. To this day both kids claim this to be their lowest moment on RTW.

Within days we were standing in awe, mere feet away from 9 of the remaining 604 mountain gorillas on our planet. The pendulum had swung entirely in the opposite direction. At one point the alpha-male silverback stood tall and displayed territorial grunts and postures directly at us! Our guide quickly wrapped his arms around the kids and whispered, “don’t run!”.

In the village of Bujagali Falls, we were welcomed home with cheerful Ugandan greetings and tearful reunions. Eric and I used to volunteer here so returning with our children was a must for the RTW. The kids spent a day with our friend Muganda, picking, drying, roasting and grinding coffee beans to appreciate what it takes to make a good cup of Joe (check out G’s video here).

We visited the bore hole sights that were being rehabilitated or drilled anew. These projects are supported by FoundRising, an NGO started by our dear friend and run locally in Uganda. The clean stream of drinkable water that runs so freely from the taps in our American home will never be the same to us.

After rafting the Nile river, William realized whitewater is NOT for him, a sentiment I share wholeheartedly. We’ll leave that sport for Eric and Grace! In a much less adrenaline-taxing activity, we enjoyed a sunset cruise on Lake Victoria and the Nile River with our Ugandan friends. They chanted and sang birthday songs in Lasoga, the local language, as we drifted out of the lake and onto the Nile. It was wild to be floating and flowing at the very source of the longest river in the world. For me, being at the source of anything is a pretty magical experience - it was certainly one of the most spectacular birthday gifts of my life.

We visited my old friend, Haruna, in the medical lab in the village clinic. He taught us how to diagnosis malaria by identifying affected cells under the microscope. Grace’s mind was blown. She was fascinated by how the parasite worked and how easily recognizable it was under the scope. William’s response? “What’s the big deal with a bunch of circles and dots?”. On the muddy walk home through the village, William’s business-minded brain processed malaria entirely differently. He brainstormed business plans for developing preventative malaria vaccines vs. medical treatments of the devastating disease. It is such a gift to see how this trip has highlighted Grace and William’s unique interests.

After we’d had enough looking at parasites and learning about all the tropical diseases they treat at the clinic, we went to bed that night tucked extra tight under our mosquito nets!