Time To Breath

I'm tired.

And that doesn't even begin to explain the drain my body is feeling right now. But it's so worth it. You know it's worth it when the most macho guys in a student body are the ones most fired up about making difference and getting involved - so much so that they express sadness through emotion. You know it's worth it when 30 kids show up after school for a Schools For Schools club meeting on a Friday. You know it's worth it when you're in the cafeteria and a student you were talking to earlier waves you over to ask you some more questions.

This job is exhausting. To sum up the last several weeks, where do I even begin when my brain is so slow and mushy that I have trouble keeping my eyes open.

Uganda was incredible. The Acholi people are resilient and transforming with inspiration as the forge a new path after being forced down a painful and destructive road for so long. Their joy and overwhelming desire to raise up a new generation of peacemakers and leaders is phenomenal. I don't think I could ever get tired of being around that. I couldn't help but be stumped by the paradox of their joy with their oppressive struggle to survive the last 23 years.

These are some of the girls in the class that I went in. The girl second from the right is Proscovia (Prossy) and she was "my student." I did a day in the life of a student and she was the one I was partnered with. She is a beneficiary of the Invisible Children scholarship program, is 16, and hopes to go to university to become a business woman. She laughs a lot and is Miss Popularity on campus.

From left to right it is Vicky, Sheila, Prossy, and Alice. Aren't they cute and awkward?

Prossy and Alice.

We had a variety of experiences while we were there. By we I mean myself and the 11 other roadies who were able to go. Our group was phenomenal - super fun and easy going. I ended up getting to know and loving 11 of the roadies who I hadn't spent much time with while in San Diego. At the end of the post, I'll introduce you to one of them: "Baby Doll." So, back to one of the experiences - the food. When we ate at the intern house where we stayed Dorine, the cook, made us yummy food, but it wasn't very traditional.

When I ate at school with either my teacher or my student, I ate posha (ground maize thrown into water and cooked) and either beans, meat, or eggplant. I ate with my hands. It was messy. I didn't really like the posha, but the beans were so good, as was the eggplant.

Two days we went to restaraunts and ate Acholi food. It was delicious.

Another wonderful experience was a boat trip on the Nile River. It was serene and beautiful. We were able to see hippos, alligators, and monkeys. It made me feel so small to be on such a massive body of water in both a physical nature, but also an abstract one. This is a landmark of extensive proportions. It was humbling.

Last, I just want to share with you a picture that I really enjoy. This was taken after we had hiked up a giant rock face, guided by some boys who lived down the street. We were sweaty, hot, and filled with whatever you feel when you climb up a strenuous, giant mountain. This was our welcome back to the motatu (van) which was waiting to take us home. This is Uganda.

This is Catherine Cheng. She is now one of my favorite people and ultimate bus seat partner, even though she kept touching me while we road. She is a roadie on the NorCal team and no doubt rockin it.

I'll try to leave you with more pictures and videos in the next few weeks, but no promises. When I get time to breath, I sleep, but I want to value you, my reader and friend, and want you to know that I love you and miss you.

Best Night Ever

This has become a theme - "having the best night ever" here in San Diego. It's too much really. Too much.

The Working Title played just for us tonight. Just for the roadies and movement staff.

Backstory: When I was 16 my friends saw them play with Watashiwa. My friends Leah and Leslie told me in Spanish class and told me to check them out. Yes. I did. So I found out they were playing about 1.5 hours away and my brother met me at dirty, old Ace's Basement in Greensboro, NC to see them play. They played with Junior Varsity and Mae - we left after TWT played. Will stole a poster for me and I still have it. It had been on my wall until I moved into my last apartment. 5 years of poster hang-age. Thus the affinity began. I fell in love with the unique quality of his voice and their music in general - and seeing them play drove home the sincerity behind their music. You know, it's just that feeling you get.

Since then big Willy G and I have kept up with them - you could possibly credit it as being the catalyst which transformed us from being sister and brother to being friends.

TWT has transformed as a band including the members, but Joel has kept it alive and has done a damn good job of it.

I spoke with him after, it was awkward, I rattled off some incoherent sentences about how much I liked his music and then I shamefully walked away. Regardless, it was pretty rad. Willy G, I talked to him for you because I'm pretty sure you would have irrationally submerged me in frigid water again if I passed up the chance. You would have handled it much better though.

Man, if for some weird reason Joel Hamilton ever comes across this blog, that'll just be uncomfortable. Joel if you are reading this, welcome.

Then to top off the night, we made it to 1,000 screenings! Ahhh. Our attendance average per screening is 150 people, I think, so that makes almost 150,000 people we will be reaching and hopefully adding onto our movement of ending a war and rescuing children from a rebel group. It's glory ya'll. A good glory, not a selfish glory.

I crushed it in our Test Q & A today. I was a bundle of nerves all day because I knew it was coming up, but Margie gave me very positive feedback about my pitch, which set me sailing. I feel released to go to Uganda now. I can't wait.

In other news, my sister and brother-in-law are pregnant! Aunt Leah is stocking up on candies and games, so she can be the craziest, best aunt for that kid. That child will be overwhelmingly loved and adored by the people in his/her life. I already love it the most and it doesn't even have elbows yet. Let's be honest - at first I was a little selfish thinking about how babies basically demand attention and the dynamic of our grown-up family was going to change drastically, but I am so pumped now. I am going to move in with Sarah and Matt to help raise our child. Our child. Are you guys okay with this?

See you in two weeks, everyone. Catherine McDuffie, let's skype chat soon.

Well, it's that time again. That special time which comes along with the fact that I am working voluntarily for a non-profit organization.

Going to Uganda on Sunday (!!) isn't free on many levels and if you feel so inclined to give towards my educational venture, I would appreciate it. I believe that a lot of littles can make up something big. Perhaps that's why I have invested so much into an organization which has grown from just that mentality. It's grassroots through and through!

http://invisiblechildren.kintera.org/mysupport/leahgarrard

Surprises

Tonight was a blast. Today was frankly odd.

I wore my "Where's Waldo" shirt - red and white stripes, so I knew it was going to be a good/interesting day.

The day was long, as most days are at work, but it was good. The energy in the office was good and I had some good conversations with contacts, but only one contract ended up coming in. At about 3:00pm, my teammates and I ran straight into a wall. We were at our wits end. Iowa is making me crazy, Canada is making Cody crazy, Kaitlin's wacky contacts are making her crazy, and Zach is always crazy. We were laughing until we were crying because we just couldn't handle it anymore, so our regional manager, Adam, comes over and suggests for us to go outside and run around. We do. It was great.

Then tonight at about 5:oopm we are instructed to go grab dinner, bring it back, solve a riddle, and go to where the riddle indicates. It's Mt. Soledad and it was gorgeous, especially at sunset. We played running charades at the top and just enjoyed each other.

Then we go to Mission Beach. Our regional managers and the rest of the Movement staff are waiting there for us with a bonfire raging on the beach. We all gather around after mingling for a bit and sit around the fire.

Tom Shadyac is there. Tom is a good friend of Invisible Children's and is a big Hollywood director - he has directed Ace Ventura, Liar Liar, Patch Adams, and Bruce Almighty just to name a few. He spoke about truth and apathy and how to face what happens after this wonderful experience. He was real and honest and confronted a lot of the fears I am harboring for when I am finished with these five months. He is the type of man I would like to share a bottle of wine with or grab a cup of coffee with and just chat about how we are products of our environment. How we worry about bills and security and living up to expectations because that's what is dictated to us by society, our parents, our grandparents. He emboldened us to do what we do now, not to wait to accomplish those things or face those things, but be great now.

It was an interesting day to say the least. One I will remember, for sure.

This is a video my teammates and I are made to thank our students, teachers, youth pastors, principals, and friends for booking screenings! Enjoy :)

THANK YOU. from Cody Cassady on Vimeo.

The Plot Thickens

Well, folks, I have some news. Pretty exciting news. I will be traveling to Uganda for about 10 days as an educational venture to see and touch and smell and hug the programs of Invisible Children, as well as meet some of those who have been affected by the programs! It will be a short trip, perhaps seemingly irrational, but I think it will provide for me a legitimacy and validation of the entire semester I have sacrificed, including the glamour and income I could be receiving otherwise.

I feel like it's necessary for my ability to speak with confidence from stage. Although I know and understand the goodness of Invisible Children, I don't know if it has digested and fallen into my blood yet. I am a girl who has to see to believe - ask my parents. I continue to ask why or how until someone takes me to the river and shows me that trout swim upstream or lets me touch fire so I know that fire burns.

I have no doubt this trip is going to blow my mind. It's going to broaden my world view, perhaps even explode it and I have no doubt that I will fall in love with Uganda even more.

The city of Gulu, in the North, is where the headquarters of Invisible Children is and where we will fly into. As for my safety, the LRA isn't present in Uganda currently - they are residing in the bush of the Congo, as Congolese are the prime targets of their attacks and abductions right now. Invisible Children takes students to Uganda every year through their Schools for Schools program. The schools who raise the most money in 100 days of competition get to send a student to visit the kids which they have supported.

This is going to be a thrill, but for now, back to work. I still need to book those screenings. . .

So this happened yesterday. It was our movement director's birthday. We stayed up all night prior learning the dance. I'm on the far right, next to the blonde on the end, but kind of in the back. It was pretty baller - she was so surprised.