It is so interesting to be here and reflect on Kenya and my current life there given a bit of distance. Claire was on the same flight as me to England and I couldn’t imagine how she must be feeling to be finished with the project. I think going home must be much harder than leaving it. Departing you have the excitement of the unknown whilst coming home you know that you are going to have to conform to some kind of ‘real life’ for better or for worse. I had dinner with an American recently and he explained to me that he was hoping by the time he reached 30 (a mere 12 months away) that he would have the perfect job and the perfect woman, a set up for his next phase. As I approach 30 I have no such clear delineations about my next moves. But for right now I am sure I want to be in Kisumu doing what I am doing.
Speaking of life changes… Melissa and Chris are having twins in October. I am so very happy for them. Twins seem like a lot quite frankly, but being an aunt is fabulous and I am quite happy to change diapers and give cuddles when I am in town. It’s wonderful to love a little person that you don’t have to be responsible for. I’m only sorry that they will be in New York not London- it being considerably further from Nairobi.
So I had a dinner date at the airport last night. He was late, but so were most of the passengers on the plane due to the Nairobi-Mombasa highway. Traffic seemed a ridiculous reason for a flight delay. Lately I feel like I am in high school. I feel like 10 years dropped away and I can’t really explain why it’s like this. Maybe it’s because things are new and fresh and full of possibility in the same way those recently graduated seem to feel about college? Maybe it’s poorly articulated conversations under street lights?
So school got out yesterday and Kisumu was a zoo. People were everywhere, the traffic mad, Oginga Odinga as busy as I have ever seen it. I now have one whole wonderful month to get all those things done that have taken the back burner because of the national training. Martin and I are submitting a proposal to the occupational therapy association for their East African conference in Zanzibar in September, I have scads of Leap work, my HIV paper and the training manuals. Computer by day loved ones by night. First here, later in Chicago and then finally in Lamu. Heaven. So I’ll be on and off this next month. I may finally get through my inbox and actually email people.. also if you are planning to visit you better let me know.. 2007 is nearly booked up in its entirety. Soon. B xx
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