Live in Happiness
As I sit in my seemingly huge bed with no mosquito net
surrounding me, about to fetch a GIANT chocolate muffin for breakfast, my last
few days in Kenya seem like a dream. I can’t believe the animals I saw, friends
I said “Goodbye” to, or hours of travelling I just completed. From Migori to
Masaai Mara to Naroc to Nairobi to Amsterdam to Detroit to Colorado, I have
finally made it home!
 |
| Moses- My first friend in Kenya |
Moses arrived promptly at 6:30 (very strange to be on time)
on Saturday morning to drive us to the safari. I said goodbye to the residence,
the cows, and the children running to school after munching on some Swedish
toast (toast with honey on it-yeah I made that up). It started to hit me that I
may never see this place again, as we made it to the main road and started our
journey to Masaai Mara, and the tears began. In Naroc we picked up a new
student, Hannah, and continued on the bumpy trail with Judy, the housemother,
to the land of lions, hippos, and crocodiles. When we finally reached the
hotel, the girls were amazed at the beautiful lobby and scenic surroundings.
Shelly and I reached Hut 33 where 2 twin beds sat under a giant mosquito net.
We, of course, took the liberty to push the beds together for the ultimate
Safari Slumber Party!
This safari was incomparable to my last safari: though we
saw many of the same things, the people were entirely different. I put on my
safari hat (thank you, Dad), stood up in the moving van, and turned on my
Australian accent for majority of the ride. Not only did we see the usual
hippos, zebras, wildebeasts, giraffes, and cheetahs, but also a king lion
devouring his pray—a huge water buffalo—and several crocodiles chillin by the
Mara river. We did not get attacked by elephants this time around, so to turn
up the excitement, Shelly and I decided to greet every van we passed with
“Habari!!” Apparently, the safari-goers of Masaai Mara rarely say hello to each
other, so we decided to change that. We continued standing in the van and
yelling “Habari” to the local Masaai people until we reached the lodge, though
the fun did not stop there. After an amaaazing meal of lentils, potatoes, and
vegetables, the girls and I ordered some wine and Tusker, the official beer of
Kenya, to end my month in Kenya. 
The following day, we embarked on a Morning Game Drive at
6:30 am with Moses. Dressed in skinny jeans and safari boots, I was ready to
see something unreal—and that we did. As we were just driving along, Moses
decided to floor it all the sudden and started yelling “RHINOS!!” I, of course,
stood up while we plowed over the bumpy dirt road in pursuit of the most rare
animal to see in Masaai Mara. I turned on my video camera to document the two
shy rhinos running away from us, when all of the sudden, my camera turned off.
In classic Blaire fashion, I left my new camera charger in Migori and was
unable to charge my camera for the duration of my stay in Kenya—whoops! So, you
will just have to take my word for it: these rhinos were UNREAL.
We began our journey back to Naroc after eating a
scrumptious breakfast of eggs and pancakes (which are more like crepes). As we
piled back into the car for the bumpy journey, the tears began again. I’m not
sure if it was Celine Dion’s singing from my iPod or the thought of leaving this
place and these people that made me tear up, but I managed to compose myself
for the time being. We pulled up in Naroc to meet Josh and some more new
students while grabbing a bite to eat. I was VERY excited to see Martin, the
guy who drove me on my first safari, in Naroc. Afterall, he was my 4th
friend in Kenya, so we have a pretty special bond. After lunch and many group
pictures, the “Goodbye’s” started. As I hugged each person goodbye, the tears
returned, but this time I couldn’t stop them. I couldn’t believe that I was
leaving the girls I had grown so close to and experienced so much with. You
wouldn’t believe how close you can get to someone by spending the nights with
no power just staring at their face and talking. |
| Crocodile Dundees |
Judy and I climbed into a car after I said goodbye to Josh,
Moses, and Martin, promising them I would return soon. I pushed my sad face
against the window and waved goodbye to everyone I had grown to love. Judy and
I travelled to Nairobi together where we stayed in a hotel in the City Center.
We spent 24 hours in the city drinking Kenyan tea, watching European soccer,
and shopping. A late lunch of the pizza I had been craving was the perfect end
to our stay in Nairobi. Jomo, our driver, picked us up after touring the
University of Nairobi campus and took us to Kenyatta International Airport. I
said my final goodbye to Judy, while sh;e told me not to cry, before hopping on
a massive 747. I fell asleep before the flight attendants could finish their
safety schpiel and was out for the duration of the flight. I woke to the older
Kenyan woman next to me adjusting my blanket. Apparently, she almost had to
call the paramedics because I was sleeping so hard. We landed smoothly in
Amsterdam, I grabbed an amazing cheese sandwich, and boarded my plane to
Detriot. Homeward bound!!
Four movies later, we touched down in Detroit with a smile
plastered on my face. I breezed through immigration and customs before checking
in for my final flight to Denver. I then walked through the exit doors to find
the one and only Chris Trojniak waiting with my stuffed animal frog, Harold.
Just as the tears started forming in my eyeballs, he put me in somewhat of a
headlock and bought me an iced coffee. I taught him some Swahili before the
Jeff Janer strolled up and I jumped on him like a spidermonkey. Words cannot
describe how happy I was to see my American pals in the great state of
Michigan—so happy that I almost missed my flight! I jogged down the moving
walkways to my gate to find that my plane was delayed 10 minutes. Praise the
Lord! My final flight was a breeze compared to the 8 hour flights I had just
endured. I took the train to Concourse A and rode up the escalator to find my
mom and dad waiting with roses and balloons—a perfect welcome home!
After spending the evening chatting with my brothers,
parents, and grandparents about my trip, I still cannot believe it was real
life. The huge eyes of children with malaria, sturdy handshakes of Kenyan
adults, and countless laughs shared with new friends are forever engrained my
memory. These experiences would not have been possible if I was not given
courage from my friends and family back home.
To
my parents—I cannot thank you enough for the countless “I love you’s”and
“I’m proud of you’s” that inspired me to continue my journey. And thank you
for the AMAZING steak dinner upon my return.
To
my brothers—Thank you for always making me laugh and for saying “I love
you, too”
To
my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents—Thank you for the emails and facebook messages expressing your pride and love, along with your great advice
To
my friends—Thank you for making me feel missed. Just knowing that you were
thinking of me gave me the courage to come home with incredible stories.
To
everyone who read my blog—Thank you for inspiring me to write down my
experiences and for laughing at my jokes.
I really could not have had the experience I did if it
weren’t for everyone supporting me back home. I can’t wait to share my stories with you first hand!
Now it’s time to see how my skills held up with some
Father-Daughter volleyball in Vail!
 |
| Kwaheri Kenya! |
You did it! I love you! Love, Mom
ReplyDelete