Top Ten Things I Missed About Africa

10. monkeys

Picture taken in Nairobi National Park

9. weekend trips out of Nairobi

8. the smell of East Africa

7. baby ellies

Picture taken at David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi

6. authentic Ethiopian food at Lalibela, Habesha, and Abyssinia

Photo credit: http://www.wix.com/aladorgod/zembaba-2

5. Gipsys

Induction? You mean, orientation?

After arriving late in the evening in Nairobi on 1/11/11 (I just wanted a reason to mention the fun date) I spent the next day recovering from jet lag and lounging about the guest house and trying not to scare others with my lingering manly voice.  Eugene from the Nairobi Skillshare office came by on Thursday morning with Evans, my guide to the "induction" process.  This must be a Britishism* (look it up, I swear it's a word; if it's not it should be) because I laughed out loud (also a possible side effect from jetlag and being heavily medicated for a sinus infection) when he told me that I would spend the next few days getting inducted and he just looked at me strangely.  I refrained from asking what I was getting inducted into, the Hall of Fame for Awesomeness perhaps?  A cult?  Childbirth?  (*My theory was confirmed when I got a follow up email from the UK office wishing me a nice induction.)

The Misadventures of Captain Awesome: Going Out in Kenya

Upon my return to the States I was of course inundated by numerous get togethers with friends wanting to catch up over the last eight months.  Surprisingly, though it probably shouldn't be, the questions they asked me most about were not of all the exciting adventures I went on; instead they wanted to know about the guys I met and how the dating scene in Nairobi differs from that of Dallas.

Fanny packs...what were they thinking?

Is it the new cool travel accessory or the fad that should have stayed dead?  Seriously, I saw not one, not three, but numerous fanny packs while people watching at DFW and LHR.  Fanny packs; for my non-American, non-geeky friends; are belts with an unattractive pouch positioned over ones waist either facing behind, over one's fanny, or forward, on top of or below one's stomach, with the intent of making the bearer's essentials readily available.  It's a travel accessory targeted to geeks the world over.

The Eagle Has Landed

I have arrived (in one piece!) and am so happy to be back in Kenya.  East Africa is my home away from home. 

Goodbye, weekend!

This was my last weekend in the States for an unbeknownst amount of time.  Notice I'm not committing to return in October, but I'm not not committing either to those Dallasites who would like me to settle down already.

Will There Be Change?

Sudan has risen to the forefront of international news of late, mostly due to George Clooney's work with the Enough Project and Americans obsession with all things celebrity.  Clooney recognized the power this gave him and decided to use it for good.  He took Dateline's Ann Curry to Sudan on a fact finding mission with Enough Project's founder, John Prendergrast.  I admit, I stayed home the Friday night that aired to hear more about the developing situation in Southern Sudan from Mr. Clooney.

Back to Basics

Packing is always a nightmare.  I despise it almost as much as unpacking.  In fact, I only just finished unpacking the suitcases I returned home with in October about a month ago, to the distress of my parents numerous cats.  (They greatly enjoy having them laying about for their kitty games.) Fortunately I have already packed once for such an adventure and know a few things I can leave behind to leave space for  much more important items; such as tortillas.  And salsa.  Eight months without the joy of authentic Mexican food was long enough.  I wonder if customs confiscates such delicacies?

My cat, Fleur, overseeing the packing process

Life Is What You Make It: Updated

So as some of you might remember I made a bucket list of all the places I wanted to see and things I wanted to do in 2010.  So here's to new adventures and more great times in 2011! 

The Best of 2010

"So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good." Helen Keller

2010 was a rough year for many, myself included, but with the hardships and stress came great memories made with good friends.  So forget all the negative things that stressed you out over the last year and remember all of the fun times spent with old and new friends. Here's just a few of my memories of the past year and some of my favorite images: