Visit to Kenya

Last week I went to Kenya for a final African adventure.  It is a trip that has been in the works for a while and it was definitely a fun time.  I had great travel companions, Christi and Rachel, and we saw so much in one short week.  We ate delicious food, saw some amazing wildlife and visited friends and familiar places.  Here is one of my favorite pictures from the week, we are about to enjoy some excellent Ethiopian food:

As many of you reading this blog know I studied abroad in Kenya 12 years ago at Daystar University.  Much like the students I have been working with, I went to school in East Africa for 4 months while doing some travel, getting know both Africans and Americans during my time there.  Kenya was my first Africa experience and it holds a special place in my heart even though I have now lived in Uganda much longer.

Last week we went to Daystar for a few hours and it was a surreal experience to be back in a place that I have thought of so often.  Much of it looked the same and I got to see my old dorm and room, dining area, and other familiar sites.  Here are Christi and I in one of the classrooms where I actually had a class:

One thing that struck me was how rural Daystar is compared to UCU.  Living in Mukono we are right off a main road with shops, traffic, etc.  At Daystar you are really out there with the open plains surrounding the campus and more wildlife.  Here is the view from the library steps- on a clear day if you look to the left you can see Mt Kilimanjaro and if you look to the right you can see Mt Kenya.  I remember being awed by this view:

Going back to the place where I first encountered life in Africa seemed to be a fitting way to end my time here.  Also getting to see how Kenya, Nairobi, and Daystar have all changed and grown reminds me that nothing is completely static so whenever I get to come back and visit Uganda I will have to expect changes.

This week I am cleaning out my house and office, packing and saying more goodbyes.  Hoping to have more time to reflect on all this once it feels like I am ready to go and things aren't quite so scattered!