First off I would like to thank my parents John and Susan as well as my sister Marge, for helping to shape the person I have become today, I’d also like to thank my grandparents Idea, Joe, Jim and Eileen for teaching me all the things a grandparent must teach a grandchild, also I’d like to thank all my Aunts, Uncles and Cousins, for everything they have done for me all these years, I hope your thanksgiving is great! I’d also like to thank my friends Caileb, Colin, Clayton, Jonathan and Kevbot for having fun with me all these years. I’d also like to thank my girlfriend Amelia and her Family for making this summer one of the best I’ve ever had!
I’d also like to thank all our contacts we’ve had on this adventure, Niall and Issac for showing me a new perspective of the Nile as well as for saving me when I was trapped in its grasp, Gerald, Duan, Martin, Oppio and Angie for showing me that if I have a passion for something to chase it no matter how hard the path may become, George, Hope, Percy, Martin and the Kids of SNEC for teaching me how to build as well as teaching me how to be kids again, Bright Owen and the employees of Edirisa for showing me that I can dance as well as taking us on a grand adventure of Lake Bunyoni, Uncle Tom, Mama Bena and the Twa people for showing us the culture of this great region, Barack for showing us that even after one of the worst tragedies in human history, you can still have hope, Victor, Prince, Jean, Jean de Dieu and his wife, and Michelle for having the courage to realize there are two sides to every story, Athaway and Grayson for being some of our greatest friends as well as pushing us up the mountain when we thought we could not, Chuma, Mama Josephine, Beatrice and Placeda, for helping us become better global citizens by teaching us there language, Paul, Reuben and Lunde for taking me in and letting me play on their basketball team, Alphonse for spotting animals we have never seen and may never see again in the wild, Curry and Luca for teaching us about permaculture and ourselves, Ali, David and Lawrence, for making Student Directed Travel so great, and also for Terry and the Kids of the Boabab home for letting me break out my inner child.
I’d also like to thank the wonderful people at Carpe, especially Avy for putting in all the work back home for this semester as well as the FVP semester and our lovely OE’s Brooke and Jonathan for leading us on this adventure!
Finally I’d like to thank my group and all those I didn’t name that we met along the way for makiing this adventure what is, without all of you none of this could have happened!
Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving,
Joseph Bleyer
