So as I was reminded recently it's been awhile since I posted on here; not to worry, I am still alive and well and haven't run off into the bush...yet. However, for those of you who have been living under a rock and have not been following along on Facebook, I will give you the full update of what's been going on with me for the last four months.
Around the end of May/beginning of June I decided to quit my job at ALARM. It was a decision not easily made as 1) I enjoyed my position and the opportunity to work with my colleagues to provide opportunities and resources for ALARM's programs in Sudan and 2) I have never left a position without another job lined up and with the current economic climate it was a struggle to listen to my gut. A long story short as to why I left: there were security concerns that were not being addressed to my satisfaction in regards to a permanent move to Juba, South Sudan.
Fortunately I have some great friends that I've met while in Kenya who were very supportive of my decision. I have been staying at a friend's flat while job searching and doing some consulting work for a local NGO and an IT solutions company. I was scheduled to come home in early September but prolonged my stay another month to continue networking and job searching here. Happily I have a couple of tentative offers that excite me but they will not become firm opportunities until funding becomes available. OR If anybody reading this post has an awesome job in East Africa/D.C. they'd like to offer me please feel free :)
That said, I'm not sure what the future has in store for me, but I've stopped attempting to plan everything and am trying to go with the flow and make the most of the situation. How often in life are we given the opportunity to stop and really enjoy ourselves and not be stressed out about the daily grind? Taking a breather from all of that has been really great. In the last few months I have been able to visit a dear friend in Cairo, watch the Great Migration at the Masai Mara, climb Mt. Longonot, visit the hot springs at Lake Magadi, hike the gorge at Hell's Gate, be a beach bum in Mombasa and Diani, and have fun with giraffes and baby ellies. (Disclaimer: Of course I've also been job searching, volunteering, and working on my papers to finish up my masters degree as well. It's not all fun and games, Mom and Dad).
So a big thank you to everyone in Kenya who has made my time here memorable and have helped me keep my sanity throughout some of the crazy times the last few months. I'll miss you all but will remember you always. And thank you to all of my friends and family at home who were supportive of my decision to move here and subsequently stick around while looking for a new job. I'm happy I will be home to see you all soon and can't wait to catch up on your lives as well (over copious amounts of Tex Mex and margaritas of course)!
xx
Captain Awesome