First Glances, Lasting Lies

First Glances, Lasting Lies

**Type:** Life Lesson or Opinion

The bus rumbled along the dusty track, a symphony of groans and rattles that was as familiar to me as my own heartbeat. Outside, the Ugandan landscape blurred into a canvas of greens and browns, punctuated by the vibrant splashes of roadside stalls and the distant, hazy outlines of hills. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of diesel, ripe mangoes, and the faint, sweet aroma of someone’s packed lunch. I leaned my head against the cool glass, watching the world drift by, my mind already halfway to the next lecture at Mbarara Institute.