I have fallen in love with Uganda.

The relaxed friendly open lifestyle, the climate, the people. Leaving the Lodge proved difficult, every morning I was supposed to leave I extended my stay a few more days or a week. "Not today. I'm not ready to go yet!" And so I moved in with Os for a while. (Until Denis -boss and absolute legend- requested I moved back because it affected his highly respected reputation within the community. Oops) I loved living with Os. Seeing life from across the road. Neighbours and friends constantly apprearing, eating with us, going to watch that evening's horrendous dubbed Indian soap, crammed into a little shop. I got very close to his family, evenings spent singing and dancing, or playing piggy-back wars (10 year old Linet carrying me!), days spent weeding or holding the newest memeber of the family at only 15 hours old.

The Christmas period was perfect. We spent Christmas day being fed way beyond our consumption capacities by multiple families who were adamant we be their guests. Happy, sunkissed and slightly drunk. I love hot winters!

New Year's Eve was celebrated up a hill with a fire and speakers, raving our way into 2014 at roughly 2000 meters. The view in the morning was stunning. A time when I could've been homesick had my cheeks aching from grinning. In the following 3 weeks when I was unable to actually leave, I had some of my favourite moments from Uganda: Playing cards with inquisitive 13 year old Jim on top of the mountain, playing sports regularly with the kids in holiday club, visiting our neighbours every afternoon, teaching the children Ninja, singing, learning and teaching guitar, late nights dancing, playing pool, making pizza in the fire oven, having long conversations with 13 year old Phionah, woman of the house and so scarily able and mature. The staff at the Lodge are beautiful people and I will miss them a lot. The Lodge gave me the opportunity to live Ugandan village life and I am so thankful for that.

It is hard to explain every little aspect of this life I love, to capture the moments when children run towards you, shouting your name, simply wanting a hug as you pass by. Playing football with a ball made of plastic bags, with your adopted siblings as you wait for the water to fill the jerrycans. Walking through plantations, stopping wherever you fancy to help the woman you have not yet met, harvest tomatoes or peel casava. I sit up a hill, overlooking Ruhanga, with a dear friend I didn't know only months before. As we watch the every day activities of the Lodge in the distance, we discuss our dreams, and I wonder what could possibly be better than this?!

2014 has begun very very well!