Coming to an end

Returning to life on the farm took a bit of readjusting to and I was pretty cranky. I had hit that wall where everything African annoyed me: the roads, the showers, the bathrooms, the transportation, the food. It only took a day or so for me to shake it off and fall back into the routine of it all, but for that day I was pretty sure I wasn't going to last another 2 weeks. Once again now though I'm mourning having to leave. I'm on a plane in 10 days. Unreal.

I suppose the novelty wearing off and the reality of it all setting in: life here is hard. And not even really for me, I have it luxurious compared to the stories I've heard over the past 2 months. This is not an easy place to live, to raise a family, to survive. Some of the things I've seen.. heard... it's all sometimes too much to process. Some of it downright makes me sick. But I've also seen incredible hope and faith, the kindness of strangers, the unwavering belief that Kenya is a blessed country who will rise above the politcal mess, the disease, the poverty, the violence and who will eventually see a better future for their children.

The farm itself is different. I'm once again sharing my hut, now with a Swede and an English gal. The numbers are dwindling but it's a cozy bunch. Schools are on hoilday so all 8 of Reuben's kids are hanging around and it's great to see them all. I only had 2 programs last week but got to accompany the women's health clinic which is a newly up and running program but it's so needed and the girls running it are amazing advocates for change. I'm spending my last week doing and Empower class and I'm looking forward to that. The weather has been bipolar. Yesterday was almost unbearable to be in the sun it was so hot, but the late afternoon brough rain and cold disgusting humidity. It's gorgeous right now but I'm sure that won't last.

Oh... my toe. A few weeks ago I had a throbbing pain in my baby toe which I attributed to stubbing it or just to the general disarray feet seem to fall in while here. While in Watamu I noticed it was swelling and a bit discolored. Being a natural picker and prodder, I played with it until 50 or so miniature pieces of rice shot out and left a big open pocket where they had been festering. I composed myself a bit and calmly sterilized the colony and since then it's actually healed quite nicely. Spiders? Flies? Who knows, but I'm glad I didn't find out the REALLY hard way.

I'm foreseeing an eventless day at home, so I'm going to go try to enjoy that.