Update...finally!

Okay so sorry I'm horrible at updating.  The past week has been absurdly busy and so many changes have happened that I found it hard to post.  Also, the internet...subpar.  But yesterday evening I left the precious town of Kimana that I have absolutely fallen in love with in order to travel 10 hours to my new home in Rhotia, Tanzania.  Leaving Kimana was one of the hardest things I have ever done and it brought back memories of how I used to cry for two days straight after leaving a CBC session.  In fact, I'm actually having trouble accepting this new camp site (aka resort!!!) as my new home because I keep comparing it to Kenya.  I made so many friends, especially at the nearby secondary school that I will remember forever.  Luckily, I have gotten their addresses and even their one of their facebook pages (proof that facebook is taking over the world) so hopefully we will keep in touch as they go off to university next year.  They have taught me so much and really forced me to realize how much of a difference a positive attitude can make in someone's life.  They also taught me how important it is to not be afraid to interact with strangers.  I know that everybody's parents tell you to stay away from strangers so instinctually we become very shy, but this time I consciously made an effort to treat these beautiful kids just as I would my little sister.  So I bossed them around and was super sarcastic, sang songs, made fun of them, you know, the usual.  And of course a photo shoot was necessary.  

And although it wasn't quite as personal I will deeply miss the little munchkins at the primary school that were overjoyed by copying my every move.

And then, of course the other hard thing was leaving the staff.  The staff in Kenya are some of the most incredible people I have ever met.  I wish I could have stayed up all night listening to their stories and advice.  I now have such new ambitions and ways of seeing things and I can't thank them enough for giving me this experience.  So we threw a staff party for them which involved dressing up like Maasai, remaking Party in the USA to become Party in the KBC (Kilimanjaro Bush Camp), making a slideshow, baking cookies, making smores, a dance party and of course roasting a goat.  They said it's the best party they have ever seen from students and although I would like to believe them I have a feeling they say that to everyone because they are too precious to say otherwise.

My favorites, Ernest and Jackson

And so leaving Kenya and my favorite staff: Molly, Susana, Judy, Ernest, Mtero, Jackson, Daniel, and Shem was the hardest thing ever and although Tanzania (we call it the promise land) is beautiful I can't stop thinking about Kenya.  Don't get me wrong Tanzania is beautiful, there are hot showers that are indoors and attached to our bandas, there is 24 hour internet, the food is much better, and there is a separate classroom than dining room (minimizing the pots and pans banging during class).  But I can't get Kenya off my mind and how badly I want to go back.  I'm trying to convince myself to forget about it and see Tanzania as a whole new place and embrace the new amenities and the fact that we can leave camp and go into the community whenever we want which is new.  We'll see how it goes from here, but right now I'm missing Kimana like no other.