Day 1

After a grueling 18 hours in the air I finally arrived in Kenya and let me just tell you if the airport ride is indicative of this trip then it's going to be crazy. I found my ride and bag (thank god) and started walking down the side of the road at night completely disoriented, following this strange driver I just met 1 min ago and only then did I start thinking wow what have I gotten myself into. We start driving and the views in the dark are smoke in the distance, zebras literally running down the side of the road and men in groups just congregating on the side of the highway. Then I start holding on for dear life because when people said there were no traffic laws in Kenya they meant it. We were weaving in and out of buses, nearly missing people running through the cars and even ran a motorcycle off the road. I've noticed here there is no slowing down, for example- we came to a round about and just blew through it full speed and the other cars did the same and were unfazed by the near head on collision. Then we turn off the highway down a dirt road that was all potholes and by far the sketchiest area I've ever been in and finally we arrived. I had today free because orientation isn't until tomorrow which is when I will be moved to my placement and home-stay for the rest of the trip. Some of the volunteers and I decided to go to the elephant orphanage in Nairobi and it was a dream come true for me since they are my favorite animals! They played in the mud and we got to pet them! Here is a pic:

Oh I thought this was funny, we were walking to the store to buy phones and 3 monkeys just ran across the street in front of us. All of the new volunteers starting freaking out and the volunteer that has been here for weeks says "It's just what happens here you'll get used to it."

I'll update more after I arrive at my official placement!

Last day in America

Tomorrow's the big day! I don't think there are words to describe the mix of excitement and fear that goes through a girl in her 20's about to travel alone to a unpredictable 3rd world country. I have always been the type of person that likes to plan out everything down to the last detail, but I am learning with this trip that life in Africa cannot be planned. I will have to learn to go with the flow and succumb to the different rhythm of life that is Kenya. I don't know if I will even be able to maintain this blog but ideally I want some way to document the stories and ups and downs of the trip so when I get back I can remember everything! I'm not looking forward to the 20+ hours of travel ahead of me but I know what waits on the other side of those flights is the greatest adventure of my life so far! Here goes nothing!