From Kenya With Love...

Hey everyone! It’s actually Lindsay posting this time J Thanks to my wonderful little sis for the last post, great job Nicki and thanks in advance for updating for me.

Alright so I made it to Kenya! Sorry about the delay in posting anything but I’ve been enjoying life without technology here way too much. In fact, today marks the first time in over 3 weeks that I’ve looked at a computer screen and I couldn’t be happier. Currently I am in a tiny internet café (the lights are flickering over my head) typing on the stickiest keyboard I’ve ever encountered. Literally getting a work out trying to type this…

Things have been really good for the most part so far. The home stay family I’m living with has been absolutely amazing, I really feel like I am one of the family already. I am actually not operating out of Nairobi as Nicki posted, but a small village on the foothills of Kilimanjaro called Loitokitok. I will be here living with the aforementioned host family until mid August when I will travel the  4+ hours back to Nairobi to swear in as a real volunteer! Until then I’m staying with my mama Alice, my baba George, my little brother Macharia and my little sister Njeri. I cook with mama every night in the kitchen and Njeri tries to teach me a little more Swahili everyday.

The days here are really long for us right now. I’m up at 5:45am everyday, am running every few days, hand washing my clothes twice a week and walking between 1 and 4 miles a day, depending on what activities we have to do.  The language classes are INSANE, we are learning so fast. This week alone we have 16 hours of language class scheduled during the day (plus another 16 hours or so of technical training) and we’re expected to practice with our host families at night. I’m so exhausted by the end of everyday that I go to sleep around 9-10pm every night and sleep like a rock.

As far as food goes, we’re eating well… sometimes I think too well, my home stay mama wants to fatten me up and I have to turn down extra food at every meal. I wish there was a little more flavor in the food and a little less (ie LOT less) carbohydrate served with every meal. All in all though my belly has been a happy camper so far.

In general I have also been a happy camper. Though I miss you all, I’m very, very happy here and am laughing and smiling on a daily basis. I have already made some friends that I know I will have for the rest of my life. I feel very lucky in that respect. Though there haven’t been a lot of tough times so far, in the few there have been, I already know I have people I can count on to be there for me. We’re planning a much needed party for the upcoming 4^th of July weekend, so while you are all out on the boat enjoying the weekend, know that I’m camping somewhere In Kenya doing the same!

Well, I'm being charged by the minute and there’s a line forming for the computer, so I’d better get going. Love you all and hope you are half as happy as I am J

First Weeks In Country

Hello everyone,

For those of you who don't know me personally, my name is Nicki and I'm Lindsay's younger sister. In her absence I'll be taking over a majority of her blog posts to keep you all updated on her progress in Kenya. She left for her trip on the morning of June 6th. From the Twin Cities she flew to Philadelphia where she was immunized and processed, and from there they drove to New York City to leave out of JFK international airport. From NYC they had a long flight to Europe, and from there the group made the flight into Nairobi, Kenya's capital city. Lindsay made her first call from in country by the 8th. For the first ten weeks of her stay she is operating out of Nairobi. There she is receiving her basic training as well as learning to speak Swahili, the national language of Kenya, though not the only language spoken by its people.

On June 24th Lindsay received what will be her permanent post for her 27 week assignment. She will be working at the Community Clinic in Kakamega, Kenya, which is north of Lake Victoria. Her work will include HIV/AIDS and waterborne illness prevention, as well as hygiene and safe sex education.

Personally, Lindsay is doing very well. She is living with a homestay family and seems to be quite happy staying with them. She has called several times over the past few weeks to check in, and she has inquired about many of you readers personally. Because the cost of sending letters is much more than she had expected (about $1.25 per letter), she may not write as many letters as she had hoped to previously. She only gets about 14 U.S. dollars per week to live on, which includes all of her shopping, so her letters may be sporadic.

Take care, and there will be more to come in the coming weeks.

Last Post From Home....

To my family and friends;

                Thank you to everyone who has been supportive of me during this long process and especially during these last few weeks as the reality of leaving you all behind has started to sink in.  Many people have said “don’t go” to me during that time and I know that deep down what they’re really trying to say is “I’ll miss you”.  I know; I’ll miss you just as much and probably more. I also know that two years and ten weeks will fly by faster than any of us can imagine. August 2013 I’ll be typing in this blog that I can’t believe how fast it all went by.

                The nerves have definitely been with me as I’ve said goodbye to people I’ve known forever and those I’ve only recently gotten to know and grown to love.  Each and every one of you has a place in my heart and so even though I’ll be physically leaving you, I’ll still carry a part of you with me.  I have a photo album filled with pictures of my favorite people, places and things, a photo album over which I’m sure many tears will be cried as I miss you all. I wish I could hear your laughter and laugh too at the silly mannerisms you have that make you, you. I wish there were a way to capture the smells of home, work, cologne, shampoo, to bottle them up and reunite with them when I’m so home sick I want to quit.

                I won’t quit though, I’m too stubborn and too committed to the idea. After years of wondering what I’m going to do with myself, my education, my career, I finally have a plan and that is a wonderful feeling. At this major juncture in my life, I look back at all the people and decisions that have gotten me here. It hasn’t always been easy and to those that know the moments to which I’m referring and were there to get me through them, thank you. Thank you a thousand times over. I would never want to struggle through those times again, however, I also know that they have made me the person I am today and for that I don’t regret a single thing. I find myself 24 years old, feeling happy, loved, respected and purposeful. I will step on that plane to Africa excited for a new experience and knowing that I leave behind, at least for now, some of the best friends and the greatest family anyone could ever ask for.

                Many of you have expressed your concerns about my safety and I want you all to know three things. One, I am not naïve to the dangers of travelling as a young woman in a foreign and, in this case, third world country. I will do everything in my power to ensure my safety while I am in Kenya, of that I can promise you. Two, I truly believe that anything worth doing carries some amount of risk and this is no different. Having a baby can kill you, so can crossing the street or driving to work but we don’t let the risks of those things stop us from doing them. Finally, know that if something should happen to me I went into this with eyes wide open and I am exactly where I want to be doing exactly what I want to be doing. I am living my life to its absolute fullest and with no regrets.

                I have cried so many tears in the weeks leading up to my departure and I’m sure there will be more to follow. Thank you to everyone who has been there to wipe my tears, rub my back and tell me everything is going to be okay. Leaving everyone behind has proved to be one of the hardest things I’ve yet to do in my life. That said, this is not goodbye, its only see you later and I will. I look forward to your letters and cannot wait to see you again.

                     Love always, 

                             Lindsay