Kwaheri Beautiful Kenya

How is it that 6 weeks can go by so quickly for those on vacation and feel like forever for those left behind? Even though the trip seemed to go by quickly for me I’m amazed of how many experiences can be fit into 6 weeks time. We arrived back in the States late Tuesday evening after traveling for around 34 hours. Yes it was long, but the plane rides went really smoothly and with private video entertainment, the time flies by. We were lucky enough to have a 6 hour layover in Amsterdam so we battled the freezing weather and drizzle and headed into the dark city at 6am. The weather was a real shock for us but prepared us for the chilly temps here in Idaho.

So what can I say about being back and leaving Kenya behind…. As someone who is trying hard to always live in the “present” moment I’m finding myself in an acceptance phase of “what is” which is being back home. With that being said, I wasn’t honestly ready to leave Kenya behind. We were building some great relationships with people and getting into the groove and rhythm of life.

I enjoyed wearing skirts everyday and head scarfs to protect my scalp from the sun. I was used to my limited wardrobe of 4 shirts and 2 skirts plus some new fabrics I wore as skirts, and wish I could hang on to that level of simplicity. Our almost daily routine of drinking tea (which consists of mainly milk with a little water, black tea, and raw sugar) and eating chapatis (mix between a tortilla & pita) is something I will sorely miss. As I type this in my local coffee shop, I am drinking black tea with mostly steamed milk with some added sugar. It’s not Kenyan tea, but it’s close.

I’m not sure how much I’ve learned from this trip, but I can definitely say thoughts or ideas I’ve had have been reinforced. People all over the world are the same in that they want to experience joy and love and hurt when there is destruction. Cultural norms can build barriers against one another and prevent growth as a human species and this is something we all need to understand to become a more peaceful world.

I saw how resilient and adaptable children are and how much we spoil our kids here in the States to their detriment at times. Kids are capable of so much more than we give them credit for or allow them the freedom to find out, especially young ones.

Women and children are still the greatest minority in the world and only through educating all children of this world will their rights become important and their lives really valued.

There are many times in my life over the last 10 years that I’ve felt unpatriotic. It’s been hard for me at times to feel good about being an American and separating myself from some of our governments practices. What I’ve realized is that it is important for citizens of a country to always remain loyal to it’s countries beliefs and truths and it’s our responsibility to keep our government in check. I’m not sure how my mail gets delivered to me everyday in a short period of time or why if I go to a police officer with a concern I’ll be taken seriously. I know when I turn on my faucet everyday there will be water (even hot) and if I dial 911 someone will come to help me. Americans love to complain about taxes, but I’ve learned that even though I don’t know how our vastly complex infrastructure really works in this country, things seem to run pretty smoothly State to State. Had I not been raised as a women in this country it’s hard to know how possible it would have been for me to not only have the opportunity to travel to Africa for 6 weeks but to be the type of traveller I was.

People say all the time to not take the things you have for granted but I realize how hard it is to understand in day to day living all that exists because of where you live and what cultural practices are the norm. I was blessed to have been given the opportunity to explore some cultures on the other side of the world and even more blessed to have done it with someone who enters all situations with her eyes wide open in a non-judgmental way. By not having an itinerary we allowed the trip to unfold in front of us with so little expectation. We were given more grace than you can imagine every step of the way. I was constantly reminded of the phrases “let go, let God,” or “just be.” This is a much easier practice when you are living in a situation with very little responsibility, but experiencing its true power is a gift I’ll never forget.

I want to thank Simba for giving us the connections in Kenya because without them our trip wouldn’t have been as rich as it was. To the Sidi family (Latif, Cathy, & Faiza) thank you for opening your home to us and making us feel so welcome in a new crazy city. Cathy your meals were amazing and a true enjoyment to share with your family. To Pastor Kim and Lucy, thank you for taking such good care of us and organizing things in Nairobi for us so that we felt comfortable there. To Leah, Martin, and Vero, staying with you at the end of our trip was a perfect way to close our journey. Your enthusiam to be with us and hang out warmed our hearts. To Stan & Dorothy, we were so happy to meet you and to see who raised such a wonderful kids. It was great to be at your house in Meru during the wedding and meeting so many family members. And lastly, to Ombati and Saitoti, there really are no words. Emily and I wish we could convey to people here, what meeting you two has meant to us, but it really is something they would have had to live through. Living in the remote area of Masai Mara could have been filled with frustrations that could have left us feeling unfilled, but the two of you made it so safe, loving, and most of all fun. You have become our brothers and we wish for you lives filled with good growth challenges and joyful days. In the words of Ombati borrowed from Obama, “oh yes… oh yes we can.”

I have some postings that I wrote up while in Kenya that I hopefully I will type and post to here in the next while. I am working on photos as well and hope to have some photo galleries at my picasa album site and will let you know when they are posted. For now I will post a few photos from the journey to give you a taste.

It’s good to be home safe and sound and I have nothing but joy in my heart for what I’ve just experienced. I can’t wait to share some of it with you all in our own time.

Amazing Tree we climbed on a Safari walk in Masai Mara

Elephant (Oltome) in Masai Mara

Giraffe in Masai Mara

Me, Saitoti, Emily, Ombati

Our last morning at Masai Mara

Em & I at the top of Ngorongoro Crater

Looking for something big, like the LION right next to her.
Ahhh, Mombassa – Tiwi Beach, Indian Ocean
Kalib and Me (Pst. Kim and Lucy’s son)
Em & I at a house party we crashed with Leah on our 2nd to last night in Kenya