Saturday, September 13, 2014

Settling into Kenya

My first week in Kenya has flown by! It has been seven days of settling in (to the Lavender’s home, to my first research site, to the new time zone). So much is new; I have met dozens of people and learned many new names, routines, directions, and local nuances. I’m still breaking in my research shoes and adapting to life as a full time researcher. Each day is filled with novelty.

At the same time, Kenya feels familiar. There is something oddly comforting about the red dirt that instantly tints my socks, the obnoxious cries of the ibis as they move from tree to tree, the boda drivers huddled in the shade, the fruit stands just off pothole-studded roads, guards reclining in the grass, dogs that look identical to my own…  Kenya is just similar enough to its neighbor, Uganda, to immediately feel like home. I am sure differences will abound. But for now, it feels really great to be back in East Africa.

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