A friend recently asked me what it means to "feel" present. When you're engaged in the moment, what does it feel like on the inside? I find myself leaning in. A lightness blooms throughout the core of who I am. I feel a sense of awake connection to the person and the moment. And I leave it feeling energized and whole. The past three months, I've been fortunate to "feel" present in so many moments and across so many places. Sitting on the tarmac at Entebbe Airport catching the Ugandan sunrise out my window one last time. My head bobbing just above the water of the South Atlantic Ocean before I take a quick breath to plunge under and watch a shark swim by. Hugging family and friends for the first time after years apart. Watching my best friends and my brother begin their happily ever afters. Sitting on the floor of my mom's art room as she experiments and creates. Spending the afternoon outside helping my dad as he welds and cuts his latest project. Meeting new people over coffee who are going to set the world on fire. Hiking through the pine and aspen and breathing cool mountain air. Living in Uganda gave me a sense of what's important. And as I prepare to transition once again, I never forget to feel each moment and appreciate the people I get to spend it with. #colorado #bepresent #feelpresent #iowa #home #uganda #rpcv