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…
Tag: Kenya
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…