Hi people!

Whew, I'm back home! I landed back in the US 2 weeks ago and I hit the ground running. I took a few days to get my brain back into PST, catch up on laundry, and clean and put away my luggage. Returning home to the PNW in November is a shock to the system, it's dark and rainy and dreary. Last year I decided that once my favorite holiday (Halloween) was over, I could officially decorate for the holidays! It's dark when I leave for work in the morning and it's dark when I get home, so having an overdose of sparkly lights waiting for me when I get home is a great way to get through the winter gloom. The weekend after I got home, I dragged out all of my decor and went crazy!

The next couple of months are going to be bananas. I have picked up quite a few shifts at the hospital and outpatient clinic, I have officially started my new position as a Maternal Health Specialist for One Heart Worldwide, and I am filling in every spare minute with my consultant job at United Imaging Healthcare. I'll be attending a global radiology conference in Chicago, flying out the day after Thanksgiving, as a Sonographer Consultant for UIH and we are training and working on their machines as much as possible before the conference. 

My new position with OHW requires that I have multiple orientation meetings with all of the clinic representatives in the Community of Practice (CoP). Because of the massive time differences between the countries, most of the meetings are taking place very early in the morning, or very late at night. This week I will have calls at 6am, 7am, and 9pm. We are trying to get all of the introductions made by the middle of December, before most people take time off for the holidays. 

Since my return home, Max has travelled back to Atiak and Lacor Hospital to work with our midwives, and also to Adjumani, to work with Sister Georgina and the two new trainees. He has been so diligent about sending photos and updates to Rachel and I, we cannot believe our luck in hiring him! He is so passionate about teaching, and all of the midwives are eager for continued training. 

I know I have more to share with you, but I have spent most of the day in an online training session, it's 10pm, and I have a phone meeting at 6am tomorrow, so I am going to sign off for now and leave you with a few more photos from Yala Yala. 

So many of you have reached out to check on me since my return and it warms my heart! I am always grateful to sleep in my own bed again, but after so many years of losing my parents, it's still a little hard to come home and not have them here to welcome me back and pepper me with questions. Thank you for helping to fill that void. 

Much love,

Jo/MB