antsy

When I was small and squirmy as all children are from time to time, my dad used to look at me with an incredulous look on his face and say, “Heidikins, what’s goin’ on? You got ants in your pants?!” I haven’t heard that for a long time from him, but for the last 2 months I’ve had ants in my pants…not literally (but you might recall the post about the literal occurrence of ants in my pants not long after my arrival here in Uganda in the story about the Impali invasion, and if not, it’s in your best interest to go back and find it, it was pretty funny), but figuratively…I’ve been antsy…I’ve had trouble focusing on any one thing, having absolutely zero success when I try to pick up a book a read, my mind/eyes moving over the words but absorbing none of them, it took a good deal of concentration and energy to accomplish simple things on my daily task list…I’m pretty sure it’s been about anticipation and anxiousness with all the travel I’ve done. “What’s it going to be like? How am I going to react? How are others going to react? Is it going to be hard? Is culture shock going to be bad? How will I talk to people about my life here? How will they respond? What should I do today? What should I eat today? Who do I say no to?” It could be these ants in my pants that led to my first attempt at dancing (Mynda and Jason's reception - evidenced above) in approximately a decade (9 years to be exact)...the last time I danced in public was in a bar in Bethlehem in the spring of 2000...It was fun, I'll admit.

But I’m back in Bundibugyo now, and the ants have gone. I’m back in a routine of sorts, settling back into relationships for what will likely be another year and a half or so…I successfully read a bit in bed last night for the first time in months, and it felt good (and so will dancing again, there's more opportunity for it here than in my life in the States...God planned that I think :)