Struggles

28 November 2015

Just had a most wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with friends, only to find out that Thom is not returning after Christmas. Maybe I am in a cyclical emotional state, but today I feel deep sadness. Yes, for Thom, but also for all the people I have met here who have left and I miss. I will confess to being rather melancholic for this whole month so forgive me as I give in to it a bit and share my pain.

I have read and shared articles that are much more eloquent than I about the craziness of this come-and-go expat life. Particularly in the international education community where contracts are typically two years this is status quo. Bonds develop at an accelerated pace and can be quite fierce. Then suddenly, that person leaves and takes a little bit of you with them. Thankfully, they also leave a little bit of themselves behind…dishes, clothes, plants, and of course, memories. Thankful for those.

As I am here longer, I find I am missing the people – family and friends from home more and more. While I am very much trying to live into the moments here and make this home, it is temporary so it is more just where I live now. I can see why people buy stuff, trying to create a more homey environment and instill themselves into their place. I, too, have succumbed a bit, in spite of my proclamations about downsizing. Ack!

All this to say, I am inordinately excited about being home for Christmas and also sorrowful in the knowledge of those who will not be returning. Tears.

Leaving Kenya

Day 4 – 26 September

At 4:30 we awake, pack things up, eat breakfast and on the road by 5:30am.

None of our group took this picture, and I didn’t see them this clearly, but this is a Lilac Breasted Roller. 

As the sun rose, we saw these silhouetted giraffes. -photo by Janine

Two hours of bumpy roads at high speed, then onto paved roads, and then on a construction road that is bumpy and muddy as we head to the airport. Once there we have to walk to a different terminal. We have to check our luggage, so after some debate we buy adult beverages in bottles and hope that we will be able to get it into Kuwait. Janine and Chantelle are on a different flight than we are, so we don’t see them again.

We fly to Abu Dhabi and get our connecting flight (none of these legs of our journey have told us we had a “booking” but no ticket) back to Kuwait. I see Casey, who was also on our flight to Kuwait, arriving from Germany. We wait and wait for our luggage only to discover it didn’t make it. We wait in line to give our information to have it delivered. I walk through security with my bottles, and Casey and I share a cab home.

Luggage was delivered late afternoon the next day. All in all, a trip of a lifetime.