June 17th, 2025

* I actually wrote this yesterday (Monday), but had some router issues, so here ya go! *

Good morning from Atiak! Make yourselves comfortable, have I got a travel story for you. I left for the Sea-Tac airport at 10am Friday morning, getting a notification from Delta Air that my flight was delayed on the way...a harbinger of the weekend, perhaps? When I arrived at the counter to check in, I was asked for the credit card used to book the flight and a photo ID to match the credit card. I explained that I was traveling for business and that the flight arrangements were made by the company that was traveling for, and confirmed that the reservation was in my name. The agent I was dealing with was lovely, however she had to call over a manager who was not. In a very snarky tone it was explained to me that this was something Delta did to ensure THEY were not victims of fraud. They said that if I could reach the person who booked the flight they could FaceTime me and prove that they booked it. I asked them how I should go about that since the person who booked the flight was also on a plane to Africa. It did not get better from there. I managed to reach Rachel by WhatsApp, because she had Wi-Fi on her flight, but she did not have the original credit card. My ticket had to be canceled and repurchased with my own credit card (Rachel will reimburse me). 

I was able to board the flight to Amsterdam and although we arrived late, I made it to the next gate (quite a distance from my incoming gate) with about 20 to 30 minutes to spare. For those of you who have not been to the Amsterdam airport, it's huge! Once boarded the plane, we all sat on the plane for about 30 minutes before they told us that our entire flight was canceled. We were not allowed to get off the plane for another 30 minutes and we're told that every attempt was being made to get us on a different flight and that we should proceed to customer service. 

While spending a little over an hour in line, I attempted to use the app to rebook my flight (unsuccessful), had Delta airlines on hold on my phone, and was also texting with Rachel while she attempted to find me another flight. Moments after Rachel booked a different flight for me, and a moment before it was my turn at the customer service desk, I received a notice that KLM (partner of Delta Air) had rebooked a flight for me... Adding 17 more hours to my travel. I was sent to the opposite end of the airport, but I also had quite a few hours to get there, because the flight I was booked on was a red eye to Vienna. 

20 minutes before boarding my flight to Vienna, they changed the gate, back to the opposite side of the airport. 😭 Most of you know that I am due to have my knee replaced when I return, even with my knee brace, I was in pretty bad shape at this point. When I attempted to get a ride to the gate, I was told that it would not get me there in time and that it was faster to walk. I made it to the gate, and had about 15 minutes to spare, because that flight was also delayed. We finally boarded the plane and flew to Vienna. I am not able to sleep on planes, ever, even with medication, so keep in mind that my last night of sleep was Thursday night and it is now Saturday night. The flight arrived in Vienna, and I managed to find the gate to catch my next flight to Ethiopia. Yes... This flight was delayed. Once on the plane, I found that not only was my movie screen broken, but so was my tray as I spilled half of my drink in my lap. The hits just keep coming! 😂 We had approximately 3-hour layover in Ethiopia, before boarding another plane to entebbe, Uganda. By this time I was so exhausted, in major pain, and was too nauseous to look at another airplane meal. The travel karma gods must have thought they put me through enough, because a miracle happened and my luggage arrived! And no one stopped me at security!! The hotel had sent a driver for me and I met Rachel in the lobby a bit past noon. We made plans to meet for an early dinner, I headed to my room for a shower and a short nap. The restaurant of the hotel was on the roof, with a lovely view of lake Victoria. Rachel and I caught up for a couple hours And I was back in my room and unconscious by 8:00 p.m. of course, my brain woke me up at 2:00 a.m., but I was able to go back to sleep until 4:00 a.m. at which point I gave up and started to get ready to go. Rachel and I met for breakfast at 6:00 a.m., then joined Michelle and her teenage daughter in the van and headed towards the airstrip. Michelle is an Associate Professor of midwifery at Yale and brings Yale midwife students to Uganda for training. I had met her on a prior trip here and I'm very much looking forward to spending more time with her. 

It may come as a shock to you, but our flight to Gulu was delayed. Luckily, we finally took off and had a short flight in a 12-seater plane, a much more efficient trip than the 6+ hour drive. We had lunch in Gulu, which took way too long, then had to buy SIM cards and data, which also took way too long, picked up some groceries and arrived at the birth center around 3pm, instantly welcomed by the staff and midwives. 🥰

After somewhat settling in, I crashed for a couple hours, then joined Rachel and Michelle (and Michelle's daughter Thea), for some dinner. The midwife students had arrived in Entebbe on Sunday and we're being driven up to the birth center by Frank. Unfortunately, due to a number of delays, they did not arrive until after 10:00 p.m. 

I managed to be asleep around 11:00 p.m. and slept very well until 2:00 a.m., slept a bit longer and finally got up around 5:00 a.m. My rooster alarm clocks we're working overtime this morning, but I love being here so much that it felt really welcoming. My collapsible travel kettle doesn't work for my adapter, so I had to wait a couple hours until the hot water and tea set up were put out in the dining area. I've just finished a breakfast of oatmeal and dried fruit along with a large mug of Ugandan tea. I can hear people waking up and going about their morning business and have a beautiful view from my window.

My new hut is amazing and huge, especially compared to my old one. It will easily house three midwives students when I'm not here, and is located right behind the building that I use for the classroom. There will be three additional huts built in various locations on the compound, once rainy season has tapered off, which is a very thankful addition to the housing they currently have. My Hut isn't quite finished, but is totally livable. Screens will be added to my large windows and a mud coating will go over the outside bricks. The inside will also eventually be painted. At some point we will all make a trip back into Gulu and I will buy a few extra supplies for storage. I have a small desk in the Hut, which means I'll be able to work on lectures in the early mornings and evenings without disturbing anyone or having to set up camp in the classroom. 

Today will be more relaxed, and I feel more "normal" now that I've had some sleep. The midwife students will get a tour of the compound and a chance to find their bearings. I will wait in the wings until they are sorted, then Rachel and I will make a plan for the upcoming weeks. 

The data did not go through on my SIM card, another challenge to be resolved, so I've been writing this on my phone. I'll try to attach some photos and get this out to you as soon as possible! 

** Well, my router was sorted tonight at 7pm, but just because you have a router doesn't mean the Wi-Fi is cooperative! 😆 I have spent almost 2 hours trying to get the photos added to the blog. I met the 6 midwife students from Yale today; they spent most of the day touring the compound and meeting the midwives. I sorted through training supplies, worked on a few random projects, helped one of the midwives with a complicated ultrasound case and made a lot of lists. On Thursday, a potential mentor Sonographer candidate will come to the center to be interviewed by Rachel and I, including some hands-on ultrasound exams. Hiring a mentor is a top priority, but finding someone who is willing to work this far north is a challenge. It's after 10pm, so I am going to try to get this out to you all and call it a day. Challenges aside, it's wonderful to be back here...thanks for joining me in spirit! 

Much Love,

MB/Jo