Home (Bitter)Sweet Home

Well, after a long 48 hours of travel and a solid day of rest, I am finally back home and settled...

Our group went to one last mass on Sunday morning before heading out. It was in English this time, and after being in Migori for over 3 weeks, I felt like a local running into people I had met during that time! They do a special little handshake whenever they see friends, so to be a part of that was a great feeling. Makes it hard to leave. 

Sam (another cook at our house) had fresh donuts on the table when we got home...Perfect last meal! 

Carley, Kate and I dragged out the packing process and small talk as much as possible, but finally had to rip that bandaid off and say our goodbyes :(  Guh, the waterworks were definitely in full force. It is just so hard to leave the people we have bonded with over the last 3.5 weeks. No matter how many pictures and stories we share with all of you back home, they are the only ones who can ever truly understand what we experienced while in Kenya. There are so many aspects involved in a trip like this - challenges, jokes, illness, tears, laughs, frustrations, joys, risks, regrets, fears, lessons, problem-solving, smells, flavors, personalities - it is impossible to capture these things in photos or words.  

It is difficult for the three of us who are leaving because we want to stay longer and keep making a difference there. It is difficult for those who are staying because the group dynamic is such an integral part of the whole experience and each person brings something different to the table. From now on, people leave every few days, so it will constantly be changing. But we have made memories in Kenya that we will never forget, and that is the reassuring part.

That being said, even within the group, we each had a slightly different experience...we were doing different jobs, facing different challenges, seeing different patients, bringing different goals, faiths and emotions with us from the very beginning...but, when it comes down to it, we were all there with similar intentions and we supported each other through some of the most intense periods of personal growth we have/will face. That is what makes a trip like this so special. 

one last group photo before saying our good-byes

...And, on the bright side, we already have plans in the works for next year's trip, so stay posted ;)

Anyhoo, a brief summary of the journey home was:
-7.5 hour drive from Migori to Nairobi
-5 hour wait at the airport (ate our first bites of the Americanized Mexican food we have been dreaming about)
-8 hour flight to Amsterdam (slept like a baby)
-8 hour layover (left the airport to explore the city for a few hours....and by "explore," I mean "eat our way through the city." Stopped at 5 places and shared various croissants, pastries, appelflaps - don't be turned off by the name, they were delicious. We got rained on, but saw a good chuck of the city...definitely have to go back sometime! Bikes & coffeeshops?!? My kind of place!)
-8 hour flight to Chicago (longest 8 hours of all time... -_-)
-1 hour drive home
-Days of culture shock.

the real one was too far away...

Central Station

Tasting our way through Amsterdam

Nothing better than eating pastries on a curb at 6am

gettin' artsy, per ush

After a few hours of reuniting and unpacking, I crashed! Slept 13 hours to try to offset the jet lag and thought I had outsmarted it...until 5:00 this morning when I was wide awake and writing e-mails. Oh well.

It is definitely nice to be home with the luxuries and conveniences of the US - hot showers, water pressure, toilets - with seats - that flush consistently, fresh fruits and vegetables, brushing my teeth with tap water, doing laundry with the push of a button, jumping in a car to go to the grocery store, seeing landscaped lawns and houses made of sturdy material, sprawling out in my own bed without getting tangled in a mosquito net, sleeping in silence without roosters and mosques waking me up at 4:00am, solid internet connections, a pantry and refrigerator with plenty of food, not having my lips taste like sanitizer and dust when I lick them, knowing which side of the street to walk on, not swerving to avoid potholes every 5 seconds, not being traumatized by the smell of chickens at the market - the list goes on.
But, despite all these things, there is such a charm about the simplicity and rustic, organic lifestyle in Africa. If you show up late...no big deal. If someone needs a lift...pick them up. If its dark...stay in. If you need to buy something...walk to the market. If you are happy...sing. This simplicity is essential to balance out the hardships they face. Otherwise, the challenges would be nearly unbearable. Africans are without a doubt some of the toughest people out there and I miss their way of life already.

Here, we have everything we could ever want right at our fingertip, but are often not truly happy. We waste, complain and stress constantly. There, they literally have nothing, but are still smiling and full of faith. They have a beautiful culture and value things that are truly important. On trips like this, you always learn more from the locals than you could ever teach them yourself.

I don't want people to think I don't like the US after reading this. There are positives and negatives to each and every place on earth, and I believe that we all have a lot to learn from each other. Traveling and being immersed with people of other cultures is, without a doubt, the best way to grow and appreciate what we have in our own lives. We are so incredibly lucky to have efficiency, sanitation, resources, education and opportunities that we do and I am blessed to live here. It is just hard to come back to this life, knowing that there are people suffering and dying because they don't have the advancements we do here. But these contrasts have always existed. It provides an opportunity for us to make a better world.

Thanks to everyone here who offered support - monetary, spiritual, emotional - and to everyone who kept up with this blog. I hope that it was able to provide at least a little insight into some of the experiences I have had.

I am glad to be home safely with my family and friends, but it is a little bittersweet - I definitely left part of myself in Kenya...