This is it

My last day in the US until December. I’ve never been away from home for this long, much less out of the country. People have been asking if I’m scared, nervous, or worried and my answer is no. I’m excited! In 30 hours I will be in Kakamega, Kenya, a small town in southwest Kenya that I know very little about. I’ll be staying with a host family for the first time in my life and becoming part of a new family and culture. I’ll be eating local Kenyan food and interacting with people who speak a language I don’t know a single word of. But I’m excited. How could I not be? No, everything will not go according to plan and yes, things will go wrong. But it’s all part of the experience. I am going to Kenya with the goal of contribute something small yet meaningful to the community of Kakamega but along the way I hope to learn about their culture, teach them about mine, and learn a few things about myself. Never before have I had such an extended period of time removed from the fast paced life of American high school and college, a time where I can think and reflect without being constantly accountable to the every buzz and vibration of my smartphone. It will be a change of pace, a change of lifestyle. And I know I will miss a lot of things about the States (mostly you people who are actually reading this). But I can’t describe how I feel better than excited; excited about Kenya, excited about Sydney after that, and excited for whatever the next 200 days has in store for me. Wish me luck!