The Perfect Valentine’s Day: Babyface Billy Is Back

It’s pretty amazing when your girlfriend comes to visit you halfway around the world. It’s even more amazing when she’s coming to visit a bearded boyfriend who has plastic tarps for windows and takes bucket showers. So to continue this amazing trend, it was only fitting that she came in on February 14^th—Valentine’s Day.

Ryan had been dropping hints about beard-removal for some time now.  I don’t want to be dating a wholly mammoth, she said. You look like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, she said. I had decided a while back that I would shave the beard for her—she deserved to see me and all my boyish good looks—but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have a little fun with it. I talked about how much I loved the beard: that “it had really grown on me” (pun intended). I might even keep it for a few years after if I get into graduate school, I said.

Ryan welding the beard trimmer

I thought it would only be fitting that we kill the beard together, so for Valentine’s Day I boxed up my beard trimmer and a heartfelt breakup note addressed to my facial hair. Don’t worry folks. We didn’t just lop it off unceremoniously; the goatee, fu manchu, and mustache were all given a brief moment of glory.

Goatee

Fu manchu

(Blond) mustache 

When it was all said and done, the employees at SPOUTS had glowing reviews. Our cook personally thanked Ryan for her service. Another employee said that “I looked beautiful, just like a school boy.” Babyface Billy was back.

Our safari group!

After a few days at the factory, we set off on a safari at Murchison Falls National Park. We saw giraffes, hippos, baboons, rhinos, water buffaloes—you name it. The campground even came complete with ambling, wild warthogs. Unexpectedly, the highlight of our safari was the people. We met a great group of tourists from Austria, Germany, England, and Spain and became fast friends. One of them even got a nice candid shot of us at the falls.

The week was over in a flash. The next thing I knew we were standing at the departure gate at Entebbe International Airport. I honestly love working at SPOUTS in Uganda, but it’s safe to say I have some good reasons to come back home.  

Marathon Fundraiser

After a year and a half of foot injuries, I decided to make a comeback and run a Ugandan marathon in May in support of SPOUTS. Things are going well so far, the past three days I’ve run 31 miles! Until raceday, I’ll keep you updated on my training and how I’m coming with my fundraising goal. If you want to check my fundraiser, just click this link: https://www.crowdrise.com/BillyRunsforSPOUTS. Thanks!!