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So it's the last day of college and we just got back from Africa yesterday morning. Horrible flight but in the end we all made it home safe and that is all that matters, though I don't think I'll ever fly United again.

Looking back at the trip, there is a lot of stuff I learned about the differences between a society like our own and the one in third world countries like Rwanda. Just something as simple as paved roads is something that I take for granted everyday, but back in Africa they don't have many of those. Going to the bathroom in a toilet that only consists of a hole in the ground and has the worst stench, sleeping in tents that don't protect you from rain and it's pouring outside, wearing the same clothes and not showering for days at a time are just some of the things I know were very different from life back home.

I guess it is important to at least understand that America is a society that many in the world only dream of coming to, or at least having the type of lifestyle we have. However, it is not like the people of Rwanda or Uganda were depressed or anything, actually I would say that they are happier than most Americans. We live in a society that is very judgmental and very fast paced, so it is hard to enjoy life sometimes.

For a few days, I was working with a local woman named Cecil who makes these things called briquettes, which are a combination of sawdust, paper and water compressed to make an alternative burning source. They make these as a means to prevent people from cutting down trees. All of us students would be out in the hot sun working and doing this very boring job, and I mean it was very boring. But the local people there did this day in and day out, everyday as a means of making a living. The craziest part was that even with all that work, they only make about 5000 franks a day, which is equivalent to about 8 dollars a day. And that is not for one person, but for everyone there. I could not imagine living off so little for so much work.

I hope that one day I can go back to Africa, maybe not to Rwanda or Uganda, or maybe I will, but I am sure I will be back again one day. The people there are awesome and I will never forget them, whether it's Innocent, Gerard, Isaac, Greg and so many more. And maybe the next time I go, I'll see a turtle for real. :)