Adela

Written Sunday August 4th

Dear Friends,

After a long two days between airports, we arrived to NBO Nairobi at about 9:00pm.  One of the most striking things about the airport was a sign with a very happy giraffe that read: Smile. You are now in Kenya.  The moment seemed almost surreal, before this, Kenya was just an idea so many people had different opinions and perspectives on. Now it was here, surrounded by my teammates at the start of this long awaited journey, the precipice. The first person I met was on the customs line, his name was Celestine like the color turquoise in Spanish or the jewel.  He explained how he was visiting Kenya only for a week before he went back to one of his many homes Rwanda.  He described Nairobi in the way I would describe New York and said that though leaving it was hard, there were more opportunities in Rwanda and less competition.  After getting luggage, we met our first friends, Gabriel and Alfred who would be driving us to our respective cities.

Alfred is our driver for Kitale and possibly one of the best drivers I’ve ever met.  Something notable about Nairobi is that driving in it is comparable to Santo Domingo, there are little signs and lights and the protocol and rules are subjective to the driver.  Driving requires superior alertness and skill which is why I am so grateful for Alfred.  We arrived to Thigio, where the daughters welcomed us with open arms and beautiful tables full of food.  The power was out so we sat in candlelight catching up with them and each other. Because the drive to Kitale is around 8 hours, we slept for about five and left at the crack of dawn with Alfred.  The most memorable moment of that day was seeing the surroundings of Nairobi at night, it is full of life and beautiful architecture made of very simple materials.

The next day consisted of a road trip from Thigio to Kitale.  The way was stunning, full of beautiful mountains covered in fog and animals I had only seen on the travel channel like baby gazelles and zebras crossing the road. I learned that a curio is a shop of handmade crafts.  The people along the way were very nice and seemed intrigued by our appearance.  A young boy holding a chicken on the side of the road stopped to stare and we exchanged smiles before he ran away out of shyness. We made a very special stop at the equator, a place I would have never imagined reaching but was so excited for and shared a wonderful Vegetarian lunch with the Chepanyal folks before parting ways. 

Yesterday was a great day, its best part being the arrival to our new home in Kitale with the daughters.  We live on their compound in a beautiful home that used to be a dairy.  My room is the first to the left and it’s perfect, it even has a canopy (mosquito net) that makes Dom and I feel like royalty.  Though the trip here was exhausting and sometimes seemingly infinite, it feels amazing to finally be in one place and know that we will be able to stay a while and call home.  Though we have barely been here a day, it already feels like home and with the warmth of the daughters and each other it will probably grow. 

 

Today we also went to our first mass and made tons of new friends, many kids that will start summer camp tomorrow here.  Right now we are about to prepare for the big day and the continual struggle of acclimating to this time zone so more news on mass next time, stay tuned!! Kwaheri!

P.S. Hello to all the New York folks, missing and thinking of a lot. Buen Camino J

Love,

Adela xx