Monday, December 31, 2007

I am heading out soon!


So a year after applying to my program, and having been accepted for 7 months, I am finally leaving for Kenya! I am going to be going to Baltimore for a week prior to Kenya. I leave for Baltimore on the 3rd and then I leave for Kenya on the 10th. It seems surreal that I am finally doing this. These last few weeks have been hectic for me to say the least...

I traveled to Colombia to visit my boyfriend, Sebastian, for two weeks. This was incredible. I hadn't seen him for four months, and it was wonderful to see him again and meet his family. I had a blast and it was so incredibly difficult to leave him, knowing I wont see him for a year. A few of the highlights included seeing 'La Catedral de Sal', the Candelaria (which is the old, historic part of Bogota), climbing Monserrate (which is a mountain where a curch sits for pilgrimers). Monserrate was amazing, but brutal and grueling. I nearly thought I was going to die. At the top though are great views of Bogota. I got to meet his entire extended family, who loved me... I also like to think that my Spanish skills have improved slightly... But who knows. I will probably forget every last thing I learned when I go to Kenya, and start all over when I get back.

And now that I am home, I am busy packing for the next big adventure. It is so much work, packing for this trip. I am thinking about when I was in India and Morocco, and how I underpacked and regretted it. Now I am trying to find a balance between the two. It is hard. I don't want to bring too much, but I am going to be there for a whole year...plus some. We'll see.

I want to thank all of the people who sent donations, your kindness and generosity will not be forgotten by me.

I will write more from Baltimore and then hopefully when I am settled in Malava, you will hear from me again. I am also hoping to find my address in Kenya and post it, so I can get mail!