Once again
I’ve gotten distracted… big surprise. The months of November and December are a
crazy, intense, amazing, once-in-a-lifetime blur to me now.
I got
engaged. Engaged. Something at one point in my life I wasn’t sure I would ever
do; Not for fear that I wouldn’t find someone, but because marriage is a very
complicated concept to me. I have lived a life unlike anyone else (just like
everyone else), and it wasn’t always because of my good decisions… and yet
somehow still managed to find a man who doesn’t think any part of me is crazy
because of it. It’s a miracle. I think I’ll keep him.
So he was
here November 15-27. We were in Nairobi a bit, visited Loitokitok, spent some
times with friends near Nakuru, then stayed in my village until he had to leave.
I think he would agree that it’s not really something you can fully explain;
you have to experience it yourself. But he’s also pretty easy-going, I’m not
sure others would be as patient and open-minded.
After he
left I stayed in Nairobi for a dentist appointment and luckily there were other
PCVs staying there at the same time for various reasons so I wasn’t alone (that
would not have been good for my psyche- it was good to have a distraction)
until our In-Service Training in Nairobi December 2. That was a week and a half
of being all back together after our first 3 months at site. It was great to
compare stories and be comforted by similar experiences; but we also learned
how different Peace Corps services can be.
Regardless,
being back together was really fun. I also got to meet the new volunteer that
is now living in Kitale- and he’s not a loser! Yay! So after training a small
group of us went on safari in the Maasai Mara. It was AWESOME. We saw
everything! A pride of lions eating a water buffalo, cheetahs eating a gazelle,
leopards and leopard cubs, elephants, zebras, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles! The
only thing we didn’t see was a black rhino because the damn poachers nearly
extinct them all! But seriously, I think we had the best possible safari luck
you could have! Except we didn’t see any birthing… always a disappointment.
Finally, I
made my way back to my village. For a week. Then I went to Diani Beach for
Christmas and New Years! There was a group of 12 of us in total and it was a
really great group, although missing some key people who were home in the US. I
think I can safely say it was unlike any vacation I’ve ever been on. I’ve never
been on Spring Break but I guess it might be like that in Kenya without 18
year-olds. We did what we could with what we had: Body Painting! After being
assured it would wash off (they had done it before), having an all out way and
subsequently covering ourselves head to toe we found out it was oil-based wall
paint… Some scrubbed themselves with gasoline, others with animal cooking fat.
It’s still in the tips of my hair. Some pretty funny pictures came out of it
though so I can’t say I regret my decision.
Met people
from all over the world. Opened my eyes to the awesomeness of hostels and
backpackers. Swam in the Indian Ocean. Oh yeah- and CAMELS! That happened! We
were tourists for two weeks, It was great. I mean, obviously I want to go back.
But now it’s time to be responsible J I’m back in my village
doing mobile clinics with my dispensary thanks to some donations for ample
medical supplies! Also meeting with my counterpart and supervisor today to
discuss trying to start community nutrition gardens (like, for the mom whose
daughter I helped, perhaps?) using the information we learned at Real Impact
during training. I’m really excited for it, I think that it will work in my
community pretty easily… but keep your expectations low.
Otherwise I
hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Years… While we were on the beach,
we all agreed that it was only good because it made us forget it was really the
holidays without our families. Miss you all!
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