I’ve been trying to start a new blog for some time now. I knew it was something I needed to do and it would be the easiest way to keep all my friends, family, and supporters up to date on everything- both leading up to my time in Uganda and the six weeks I am on ground. I could think of the content of some the posts I wanted to make, but the hardest part for me about a new blog is its name. Names are important. They have weight and meaning; there is a reason that you were given the name that you are called. (That’s why I love finding out the full names of my friends.)

I had some creative juices that were flowing and came up with some catchy names that I thought would work and be memorable, but nothing felt quite right. I didn’t want to commit to any of those names.

Yesterday, I was making a decal of Africa with a heart over Uganda because my new cup was too boring. As I was watching my machine work and designing on my computer, I thought, “I really need to get on top of my red dirt writings for my supporters.”

It was like an, “AHA!” moment for me. I said it out loud a few times and realized that’s exactly what I do. Whether I am in a village in Uganda with no running water or electricity holding babies or I am sitting in an air-conditioned, very electricity-heavy coffee shop in the middle of bustling downtown Kansas City drinking a latte, that red dirt has had an undeniable impact on everything I think and write ever since my first trip in 2011.

So, here I am, debuting this portal, which will host my red dirt writings.