take a load off Fanny

It's good to be back in the US of A. My travels left me weary but safe. When I first got off of the plane in Heathrow, I hopped on the tube to the center of London. I stepped outside and was overwhelmed by rainfall, electricity, infrastructure, and people EVERYWHERE. I nearly cried. Thankfully I had Mimi and James' familiar faces to greet me and Japanese food to appease my stomach. I spent the night at their flat which I was so thankful for. I would hate to have been stuck in the airport for 19 hours waiting for my next flight. James told me it was the least he could do for his best man.
The next morning I woke at 5:30 am London time, 8:30 am Kenya time and headed to the airport via 2 hours of various forms of London public transportation. As I was sitting on the double decker bus in the early morning, I thought about the independence that I have gained from my travels the past month. I thought about all of the times where I had to "just figure it out" and did. My fellow American students often talked about how this quality is not seen with strong presence in the people of Kenya. Kenyans rely on their brothers and sisters, but do not have unrealistic expectations for others. If something isn't done at the end of the day, hakuna mata (no worries), it will get done eventually. I find this way of life appealing. Maybe we should lean on each other more. We might find more satisfaction with our everyday lives.
There's nothing like seeing your family for the first time after living for weeks in the bush. I had a beautiful homecoming, complete with Claussen kosher dill pickles and lots of cheese (ah life is good in Wisconsin). The past few days have been absolutely refreshing and gave me another opportunity to appreciate just how lucky I am to have my family who support me with everything that I could possibly need and Josh who would still be right by my side, cheering me on if I wanted to fly to the moon or join the circus.
Thank you for following me to Kenya and back. Your comments helped motivate me in so many ways while I was there and I probably would have lost my mind if it hadn't been for your support. I hope I could paint a little picture of my experience in Kenya for you and that you find your adventure bone and go on one yourself someday. It's never too late and I can promise that you won't regret the people you meet, the places you see, and the lessons you learn. Peace!