“Didn’t you hate it?”

Before I found out that I was going to Malawi, I had told a few people that I had applied for the internship. In return, I saw a lot of stunned expressions and a couple people said, “Didn't you hate Africa?”

The short answer is no, I did not hate Africa. I don’t think I ever will.

For the sake of a juicy blog posting, here’s the long answer. It’s no secret that my trip to Uganda last summer was a little tough. There are a couple of main reasons for that.

One, I could barely tolerate the food. And it had nothing to do with taste (or lack thereof) but rather that I couldn’t keep it in. Lesson learned: I’ll be taking Dukerol this time around. (Too much information?)

Two, and probably most notably, I had a really rough time with the organization I was working with. Because we were the first batch of interns, there was no structure to our workday. We were thrown into an unknown country, asked to create peacebuilding programs (which we didn’t know anything about) and then were criticized—by the other Canadians we were with—for “failing”.

At times, it was a disheartening experience. I had been looking forward to going to Uganda and although I really enjoyed meeting new people and learning about the politics and culture of a country with such an intense history, the positive experiences were often overshadowed by a personality clash.

This time around will be different. I’m going to Malawi with an organization that I know and trust. I will be doing work that I know is important—to the people I’ll be working with and for my future career opportunities. Amy and I will be working closely together at MIJ and since we’ve already worked together at jhr I know that we’re a good fit.

Also, I keep hearing that nerves are a good thing (shout out to Davey!) because they keep you on your toes, providing you with a better chance to adapt to any given situation.

Before my trip to Uganda, I wasn’t nervous at all.

Right now, I am nervous. I’m anxious. I’m ready to start a new adventure and I’m excited to keep on my career path.

I learned a lot of lessons from my time in Uganda. For me, the most important one is to enjoy every moment. It’ll be over in a flash… whether it’s ten weeks or six months.