So I've been home for a good 36 hours now. The first 24 I spent sleeping in recovery mode, but I've still had quite a bit of time to reflect on the trip as a whole. The 16 hour plane ride alone gave a lot of time for this, although quite a bit of sleeping also took place... Overall, I just can't find words to suffice.. or an accurate measurement to somehow portray my love for Kenya, for Africa. The weeks I spent there were spent in awe at the beauty of the culture and the pride and joy the people carry themselves with.
I guess what had the most effect on me, which I'm sure all of my previous blog posts has made obvious, is the children! I feel I made such a bond with all the children whether it was the secondary students at BLISS, the primary students at Kithoka, the kids at the multiple orphanages we visited, or the street children by our host home. Talking and playing with them and just seeing their smiling faces everyday did so much for me. I learned so much about them and their lifestyle and even myself, and I can honestly see me perfectly happy in my future, just interacting with them on a day to day basis. All of the work that Dr. K did in her orphanage was such an inspiration, and I only hope that I can be half as strong and successful as she was. Despite her many setbacks and financial conflicts that she still deals with, she still has such a positive outlook and always puts the children first. She is such a beautiful human being and I can't wait till she ventures to Michigan so we can all have dinner together! (Just pray that she is able to get her visa this time!) Again something I am so grateful for...
Although my 4th of July was spent at the hotel in Nairobi saying our last goodbyes and then at the airport suffering through customs and eventually flying home... Mentally my mind was in a place of gratitude for all the rights I have as an American. I guess I've always been skeptical of the American government(like all governments), and I still believe that America has so much corruption and propaganda that it's difficult to have respect for the media and anyone involved with the corporate world. I can however, appreciate that I was born in a country where I have the freedom to obtain a visa and travel anywhere without any complications. I can be grateful that I was adopted into an American family in which I have a surplus of food, water, and shelter...not to mention the biggest one education, something that most children in Africa strive for and have to go without. I just feel so grateful for all that I am blessed with...
So even though leaving Africa was bittersweet, and in many ways I never wanted to leave, I was happy to come home to a country full of resources, an education that I know I take for granted, and family and friends of unconditional love. I am so grateful for my life the way that it is, and I know that because I was born in America and have the freedom that I do, that I will have the opportunity to go back to Africa (one more month!) and fall in love with the culture and the people over and over again!
