Home Sweet Home

I’m now on the plane from Seoul, South Korea, heading to Chicago, about to step foot on American soil for the first time since May. So much has happened in the past seven months. Kakamega feels like an eternity ago, not to mention life as a college student at Duke. On my customs card I had to list the countries I had been to since last being in America, which sent me on a nice trip down memory lane. Kenya (plus a little bit of Uganda and Tanzania), on to Australia, with a nice 10 days in New Zealand, on to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia before finally coming back full circle.

My time abroad has definitely expanded my worldview. I absolutely love Charlotte, North Carolina, and the USA, but there is also a whole world out there to explore. I can really see myself living outside the USA, a possibility I never would have taken seriously last year. I also had the great experience of stepping out of my comfort zone. I remember landing in Kisumu, Kenya, not knowing the language, the customs or anyone other than a few Duke students who I wouldn’t be living or working with. I had never traveled outside the US without my parents. For the first time in my life I was able to integrate into an entirely new culture, learning parts of the language, eating the local food, making friends, and feeling at home in a whole new place. I got to have real influence in an international microfinance NGO. Just last week, Denis, one of the Business Mentors I recruited, emailed me to fill me in on the success of the pump project. I definitely miss my coworkers and host family. One day, my host dad hopes to visit Charlotte and the US and I will be here waiting to greet him when he does.

Next thing I knew I was on a plane, with malaria, heading to Sydney. I had no Duke friends going to the University of Sydney with me and didn’t know anyone I was living with. It was a chance to meet new people, try new things, and make new friends. While Australian culture is more similar to American culture than Kenyan culture is, I enjoyed mingling with my Aussie friends and hearing their stories. I was able to take classes that I couldn’t have taken at Duke and I met so many awesome people. I was able to travel to the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne, Perth, the Blue Mountains, and even New Zealand!

And then I went on an unexpected Asian adventure. I embarked on a trip going to a country where my friends and I had no contacts and didn’t speak a word of the language. And it was awesome. We hopped around from country to country, city to city, hostel to hostel, and met so many awesome people, both locals and travelers, along the way. All of my travels with my family have been awesome, but in addition to the planned out tours and landmarks, I gained a whole new appreciation for spontaneous traveling with friends.

After the longest day of my life (literally, not figuratively, it has been December 4 for 36 hours), I have successfully made it all the way around the world and am home. I get to sleep in my bed again, hug my parents, and see my brothers, relatives, and friends within the next few weeks. I am so glad I was able to have these experiences abroad. I hope you have enjoyed the little snippets of my life in the past 200 days, thanks for reading! Kwaheri!