Kisumu --> Nairobi

As I sit in the Kisumu airport in a near-empty terminal waiting to depart on the first of many planes to come over the next few days, I can't help but feel sick. (Not even kidding...I'm pretty sure I am making myself sick with how much I am not ready to leave. I think I may have an ear infection, but then again I think I'm making myself sick with the awful feeling in my gut of not wanting to leave at this moment. Sure, I miss my family and my cats and my friends and the American way of life, but I wasn't done with Kenya just yet...and I don't think Kenya is done with me either). We left at 9AM from the Guest House and I could carry all of my bags by myself! Woo hooooo! This is quite an accomplishment considering one bag is really hard to move and I couldn't even lift it on the way here...muscles from the gym, look out ;)I had a fruit salad for breakfast and ate it slowly, desperately clinging onto the last few bites of fruit I may have here. Nairobi didn't have any fruit last time with meals and that will be something I most certainly miss. I said goodbye to Willfred, the fruit man, and Totari. Polycarp arrived and we loaded our things. As we got to the security gate for the last time, I saw many familiar faces. Micheal, Alloyce, and others came to the gate to wish us goodbye and good luck. It is at the exact moment that I realized that these people gave me more than I could ever give them. It was incredibly humbling to know that on their day off of work (for many of them) that they wanted to come shake my hand and tell me goodbye.   Turns out -- a crew of people would be joining us to Kisumu. Kisumu reminds me roughly of Columbia, MO; it's a biggish town that people want to go to but don't have the chance to go all the time. Needless to say, carpooling is a big deal as most of these people don't have an effective method of transport to take them 2 1/2 hours there and 2 1/2 hours back. Eunice, Levine, and Phil joined us as we made our commute and it was really nice to talk more with Eunice and Levine. They asked questions about our trip and about life back home. Levine said that Hunter looks like he's a rough and tough biker dude (hahaha) and that Harley looks polite and nice...in between laughs I told her that this couldn't be farther from the truth and that they're both wannabe rough and tough biker dudes. We talked about education systems, college vs compass (their equivalent), careers, and our internships. Levine gave us life advice on bartering and shared some Swahili phrases to use at the market. She warned me not to do a sorority because "the movies make it seem so bad", but she later said I could do anything I wanted but to be careful about it. They asked about Mbita and comparing it to Nairobi. Word of advice to any future travelers who have decided they now love Kenya (good, good choice): don't go to Nairobi. Or if you do, do not spend your entire time in a tourist city. Mbita literally will hold so many of my fondest memories and it's an area in the middle of a village. A region where food insecurity and poverty are just as evident as smiling children and agricultural roots. Mzungus aren't a common sight, but my time in Mbita made me feel like a local, not a stranger. Sure, I was fairly secluded on the campus and couldn't go anywhere alone...but you will never, ever, ever experience Kenya unless you go into a village and talk to people. I told them how much I loved Mbita and how there is nothing I would change about it...how I would love the chance to teach my kids just ONE more time. Mbita is better than Nairobi guys, just trust me on this one :) As they started departing from the car at their respective stops, they would say their goodbyes to us. Phil, the last one to leave, said "and one by one they leave" and that's exactly how I felt. One by one, the people who I have come to know and love were leaving. In reality, I was leaving & they would continue like normal. If this trip would be characterized by one word it would be perspective. Perspective on: what matters and what really doesn't, what it means to be a working woman/man, sacrifice, the global around us, my place in the world, how minscule so many of my worries are. I could write an entire post just about the perspective I've gained (and probably will!) but it definitely hit closer to home today as I hope to have left Kenya/Uganda and the lives of the many people I met better than they were when I first arrived. I gave Polycarp a stack of thank you notes that I had wrote for the multitude of people we met: Eunice, Salim, Silas, Alloyce (Alloris...I had spelt it wrong in a former post),  Kimani, and one for him. Isaac and I whisked through security rather quickly. My 71.5 pound bag that I couldn't even lift at the beginning is now 19.4 kilograms and even I can left it. My one suitcase qualifies as a carry on and me, my backpack, my fanny pack, and suitcase rolled into the terminal of which I am currently seated. Our flight departs at 13:45 (1:45PM?) and is only 30-65 minutes with boarding, soda/peanuts, landing (I forgot the actual length of time but it's a really short flight). On the way here, it seemed like we were in the air and immediately back down. Mbita was so peaceful and as someone who never got a break (there, I admitted it) all throughout high school and every summer, it was one of the best things for me. Kenya lifestyle is at a much slower pace and having patience is key. While I have done an insane amount of work while I've been here, it wasn't  an overbooked, crazy busy, involved, "do it all" schedule that I was so accustomed to back home. Don't get me wrong, I loved being busy and would've only added a few moments to breathe throughout high school...but going into college, my schedule planning techniques will likely change. While I was busy and always had something going on, I wasn't always resourceful about my time back home. Here I was busy but took time for me too..and that's a lesson I will carry on as I go home. Alright, I'm writing the post about my room as soon as I get in Nairobi.Asante sana, Mbita. It's been real and I cannot wait to come back.