The Ambassador of Lamu

Although it’s the goal, it’s not incredibly often during my travels that I connect deeply with locals unless otherwise acquainted (e.g. mutual friends, through an organization/volunteering, etc.).  This happens even less so in a place where I am an obvious tourist.  However, on this last trip to Lamu, Cory and I were lucky enough to…

Alleyways of Lamu: The Heart of Swahili Kenya

I love alleyways.  I’m not talking about the sketchy kind portrayed often in serial killer movies, but the kind of narrow pedestrian walkways that in the U.S. you might find a couple tables of a cute, hole-in-the wall café, or like the souqs in Morocco.  These are the places for pedestrians and stray animals, not…

3 Things I Learned About Myself on the Africa Trip

The best question I got from a friend after this most recent visit to Africa and my old Peace Corps site was “how did you change since Peace Corps?”.  I knew I could expect a good question from her and she didn’t disappoint.  With this question, she spoke exactly to the insights I had about…

The Post-Africa Haze

Returning from two weeks in Africa is disorienting. First there’s the jet lag one can get from 24 hours of travel and 30-something hours of no consistent sleep.  After keeping myself busy for several hours after my flight arrived this morning, I’ve managed to stay awake, but after taking a too-long nap before an appropriate…