Getting there

San Francisco to New York (5 hour flight) to Amsterdam (6 hour flight) to Nairobi (7.5 hour flight) to Nanyuki (6 hour drive). It was long and exhausting, but I found the gradual separation from home to be interesting. I love New York. I've been there once and want to go back soon, but I always feel like it is so far away. As the city became just another starting place for another flight, it seemed closer to home than usual. "We are still in the states" I thought. So much farther to go.


After New York we flew to Amsterdam. I've been to Europe before, specifically to London, Budapest, and Vienna for short trips and I'd love to go back someday! But today, Amsterdam was just another point of take off. Again...so much farther to go. Attempting to get my bearings, I realize that I'm straight across from London, counting one hour back instead of eight hours forward. I think about London a lot, how far away it is and how much I want to be there. It feels strange when it is closer to home than I am.



Fortunately, we actually had time to see the city on our long layover in Amsterdam! It was beautiful. Please read the next post to see pictures and hear about what we did!

Kenya: expectations, hopes, ands fears.

I had never thought that I would be going to Kenya. In the constant thoughts and expectations that run through my mind, I never saw myself mentoring at a school, working with NGOs, or going on safari in Kenya, but that is what is going to happen. It is exciting, and terrifying. My plan is to take it one day at a time, one moment at a time.

I, along with twelve other fabulous women from Saint Mary's College, will be mentoring women writers at the Daraja Academy in Nanyuki, Kenya. I hope to get to know these Kenyan women, and to learn from them. I want to know what their dreams are, and what their daily life is like. I hope that I will become close enough with them that we can engage in conversations that will answer my questions. I want to learn from everyone I meet and everything I see. I want to be a sponge.

Throughout my adventure of being a sponge in a foreign country, I will be sharing stories on this blog. Again, this is exciting and terrifying. I never thought that I was much of a story teller. I always used to think that something big and grand had to happen in order for it to be worthy of a story. But through discussions during this first week of school, I have learned that writing can be prompted by anything. I know now that as a writer, every day situations can be the beginning of a story. I am excited to drink up my surroundings in Kenya, and to questions and take note of everything that I find interesting.

My fear is that I will get so excited and so anxious that I will miss the little things, the moments that turn into lasting memories. In order to not let my anxiety get the best of me, I have concocted a creed that I will hopefully stay true to throughout my journey.

My Travel Creed:

I will observe and I will question.
I will have an open mind.
I will be positive.
I will dance and I will sing.

I won't do the last one on the plane.

I might do the last one on the plane.

I Am From...

To prepare for our trip to Kenya, we read some Kenyan poetry, biographies of Kenyan figures, and a book about writing. This poem is the result of an exercise in the book "Writing to Change the World," by Mary Pipher.


I am from dancing on top of finished puzzles.

I am from milkshakes made in the garage by my daddy, from playing in the rain with my mother and sisters.

I am from always learning, from waking up in the morning to an adventure, not a desk.

I am from barbies and make believe.

I am from waving to my dad out the window.

I am from California culdesac Summers, from kickball every day, from neighborhood walks to Walgreens.

I am from "...tongues in trees, bookes in the running brookes, sermons in stones, and good in every thing" (Shakespeare, As You Like It, 2.1).

I am from singing, singing, and singing.

I am from my grandfathers fried chicken and my grandmothers mac & cheese.

I am from the magic of summer camp.

I am from the stars that shine down on a farm in the night time.

I am from Ella Fitzgerald, Dave Brubeck, Frank Sinatra, and Michael Bublé.

I am from the roar of bagpipes, and the strength of the Highland Fling.

I am from giggling in church on Sunday.

I am from long friendships.

I am from forced family game nights.

I am from tea and biscuits, and baseball.

I am from family.

I am from wondering why, what if, and from my sister's calming words.