Sunday, August 17, 2014

Hakuna Matata goes to the land of Hakuna Matata!

Tomorrow I leave for Kenya!  For a month.  It feels very unreal right now, even as I pack all my things.  I have little idea of what to expect, how I will adapt, what my role will be in the group, or if I’ll get to see a cheetah.  This leaves me very excited and anxious to find out!

A month is a pleasant amount of time.  For those who have read my previous blog posts when I did the 30-day challenges, I stated that anyone can do anything for a month.  It’s a short enough time that the end is in site from the beginning and you know it will fly by.  Think of this year – it has absolutely flown!  But it’s also a pretty solid amount of time, meaning it’s more than your typical week vacation, and, I’m hoping, long enough to dig in and get at least some sort of a feel for the real culture of every day living.  In the end, I feel like the time will fly and won’t be nearly enough time, but if I happen to hate it (doubtful, but never know), I also know I will survive :) 

Since I first thought about going to Kenya, I have gone through some phases of things I was worried about; I meant to blog about these thoughts, but failed.  To sum up, initially a lot of what I knew about Eastern Africa was from the Book of Mormon, the play Ruined, and Invisible Children…. If you know any one of these things, you will know they do not paint a very cheerful picture of Africa, and somewhere in the back of my mind I was worried about being raped, mutilated, or forced to join the Lords Resistance Army. 

The more I learned however, the more I realized that I am going to a much safer place than those extreme stories, a place that is visited by tons of tourists every day, and a place where the people are welcoming and embracing.  Yes, the threat of attacks from Al-Shabaab or other groups are very real and unsettling, but overall I think the chances of encountering that are similar to any big city here.  I like to remind myself that some people are scared to visit Chicago because of the stories they’ve heard about murder and crime, yet I feel extremely safe.  (For more on the dangers of a single story, listen to one of my favorite TED talks, http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story).   

Then I moved on to a fear of getting robbed.  While this is still a fear, I keep telling myself that things are just things.  I would be so sad (and annoyed!) if my new fancy camera gets stolen, especially once it has incredible photos on it, but I also know that I would survive and am fortunate enough to be able to buy a new one when I got back.  

And now the latest fear, although highly unlikely so not a big one, is that I get Ebola.  What a lovely time for it to rear its ugly head!  Kenya has just been added to the list of high-risk countries by the World Health Organization, causing some alarm.  This is mainly because Nairobi is a main hub for flights to and from West Africa (where the outbreaks have all been).  There have been no cases in Kenya and I feel quite safe going quickly through Nairobi to our little town.  It’s also reassuring that it’s not air-borne, so I’ll just try not to let sick people sneeze on me or kiss me :) I am packing lots of hand sanitizer. 

Unlike some areas of Africa, we will have electricity, toilets, and safe food to eat.   We will be working and staying with a highly respected couple there and I look forward to being a part of their community.  I’ve heard that I am going to get sick, so I’ve packed plenty of antibiotics and Imodium.  My biggest fear now is that the time will fly so fast.  My focus now is that I make the most I can out of this trip, learn a ton, and stay present and open.  I am hoping to make a big impact on the people we meet, as I know they will make a big impact on me. 

I am very thankful to have very supportive friends and family.  My family was immediately on board and excited, as were my friends (especially once I convinced them that I WILL come back :).  My Grandma is worried, but can’t wait to hear all about it when I return.  That’s all a girl can ask for! 

This support was overwhelmingly proven by the amazing amount of donations I received.  I am so grateful and have been told by Ben, one of the project leaders, that we will be amazed to see what that amount of money can do on the ground in Kenya. You all are rockstars and I will forever be thankful for all who have supported this journey.


For those who have spoken to me in the last 6 months or seen any of my FB posts, you will know that it will be hard for me to leave my little Teddy Muffin behind.  He will be going to Grandma and Grandpa Russell’s farm in Indiana (not ‘Going to the farm upstate’ like people say, but really going to a real farm!  Lol.).  He’ll enjoy wrestling Toby, my mom’s dog, and will be a bit slighted that he’s not an only child this month. 

I will close today by saying that I cannot wait for this experience and know that it will change my life and open my eyes to a new culture, new ideas, new country, and new continent!  I want to take you all with me on the journey, but since I can’t pack you all in my suitcase, I will try to blog as much as I can.  I also love that my blog was already called Hakuna Matata – which I read you actually do hear people say in Kenya!  :) 

Much love and Kwa heri for now!  
#beyoubefree

carpe diem, hakuna matata, no day but today... redhead OUT. 
Namaste