I’m Moving to Uganda!!!

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I’m kicking off 2017 with some big news – yesterday I quit my job and next month I’m moving to Africa! Uganda, specifically.

Words can’t express how excited I am to live abroad again. Some of my friends think I’m insane – I’m quitting a great job to move to Africa, a continent I’ve never visited. But hey, you only live once and I’ve wanted to see Africa since I was a kid. It’s now or never.

So what am I doing in Africa, you may be wondering? In Uganda, I’ll be working in marketing for a food delivery company. For now, I have a six-month job contract.

What’s interesting is that I’m not leaving because I’m miserable. In fact, I’ve been really happy recently. I have an incredible group of friends, have been taking acting classes (yes, really), and enjoy my job. But when the opportunity to move to Africa came up, I knew it was something I couldn’t pass up.

What’s more is I’m excited to work on personal projects. I have a month off between the last day at my current job and the day I move to Africa, and I’m SO excited to finally write an au pairing e-book and a non-fiction book proposal. I also would love to blog more – I still haven’t blogged about my trip to Europe in the fall, and have lots of photos and stories I want to share.

Travel Advice Needed!

Anyway, I would LOVE to hear your Africa recommendations! I haven’t done much research and have never been there, so am basically clueless. So if you’ve been there, please let me know your favorite spots!

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About Ashley Fleckenstein

Ashley is a travel and lifestyle blogger who lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Since college she has au paired in Paris, backpacked the world solo, and lived in Uganda. Her work has been featured by Buzzfeed, Forbes, TripAdvisor, and Glamour Magazine.

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39 thoughts on “I’m Moving to Uganda!!!”

  1. Ashley. Am so excited for you. I look forward to living through your wonderful adventures
    Love
    Aunt Mary

  3. Ashley, You never cease to amaze me! I’m proud of you as always! Sending love and best wishes for your new adventure! God bless you in your travels.

  4. Oh, wow, Ashley! What an amazing opportunity! I’m so excited for you, and I can’t wait to read all your posts!

    I totally need to check out “We should all be Feminists,” too.

  5. Wow! That’s such huge news! I hope you have a great time. I have friends who have lived in Uganda working on wildlife conservation issues. It looks like a beautiful country! Looking forward to your updates :)

  6. I spent six months in Ghana (West Africa) so not quite the same, but my best piece of advice would be to always keep respect for local culture at the forefront of your mind. Remember that you are an outsider, and sometimes (most of the time) it is much better to observe and listen than to help or give advice. Also, try everything! even if a food looks gross or a dance is weird, try it, you may love it! I also attended church while I was in Ghana and it was fascinating. SO different than at home!

    Also, African time is real. Everyone will always be late and never be concerned about it! Good luck!

  10. Congratulations, Ashley. Your plans sound truly exciting and if I were you I wouldn’t have hesitated as well. Except of beach holidays in Tunisia many years ago and one day in Rabat, Morocco when I was a child, I haven’t been to Africa but I hope to go there one day. I am really looking forward to blog posts from and about Africa. Enjoy your remaining time in the US, have a great time in Uganda plus safe and happy travels. :)

  11. Btw, Chris, the travel blogger behind “Aussie on the Road” spent a lot of time in East Africa, including Uganda this and last year. He works for Shadows of Africa can for sure give you several tips, advice and insights.

  13. So excited for you! Africa is severely underrated in the travel world. It’s easy to generalize it as one entity (I do it myself), but you’ll find a wide multitude of cultures and languages!

    I spent 3 and a half months in East and Southern Africa last year and loved it! Some of my favorites:

    Tanzania-climb Mt. Kilimanjaro (a must-do, although it’s not cheap. I highly recommend Impatiens Tours), safari in the Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater, and the island of Zanzibar (dedicate a minimum of a week here)
    Kenya-Masai Mara, the coast around Mombasa (I liked Diani Beach), Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Sanctuary in Nairobi
    Uganda-white water rafting on the Nile in Jinja, Sipi Falls, Kampala (one of my favorite of the African cities)
    Rwanda-Kigali (such a clean city! and the center of the genocide in the early ’90s), gorilla trekking (make sure to go in March or April when permits are half price)
    Malawi-Lake Malawi
    Zambia-Victoria Falls (go take a dip in Devil’s Falls overlooking one of the waterfalls, such a thrill rush!), Chobe National Park (I’ve never seen so many elephants in my life!)
    South Africa-Cape Town and the surrounding area hosts a plethora of outdoor activities including Table Mountain, the highest bridge bungee in the world, cage diving with great white sharks, and the Garden Route
    I also heard great things about Mozambique and Ethiopia, although I sadly did not have the chance to go to either of these.

    Sorry for the rambling, but check out my blog for more details about any of these and feel free to reach out!

  14. I have never been to East Africa, but hopefully you will be able to travel to South Africa while you’re working in Uganda. Cape Town is a must see (I lived there last year and it was my favorite place I’ve ever been.) Along with the touristy things (Table Mountain, Robben Island, V&A Waterfront, etc) there are a lot of cool local things to do as well. I would suggest going to Boulder Beach (beach where you can swim and sunbathe with penguins!) Taking a wine tour of western cape, hiking Skeleton Gorge (part of Table Mountain but there is a lake at the top of the mountain and it’s lesser known to tourists so it’s much more scenic and peaceful). Try to do a braai with the local people, I believe they do this tradition in many African countries, not just South Africa. Also eat at Mzoli’s, it’s a traditional South African restaurant in a township. There is a a lot more to do and everything is cheap too. All the hiking trails are free and the penguin beach was only $5 when I was living there!
    I wish you the best of luck! I’ve traveled to many places but I would say Africa has my heart. Hope it captures yours too!

  18. OMG! This is so exciting Ashley! ‘Really looking forward to reading all about your life in Africa, and how expats live out there.

    I’ve never been to Uganda, and truth be told I don’t know anyone who has, so this is epic. EPIC!

    What an adventure you’re going to have.

  19. Hey Ashley,

    Really excited for you! I should be in Uganda in July sometime! Will give you a shout and maybe hang out in Kampala?

    Helen x

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