Maisha (life)

I know it's been too long and I have no excuses except that I'm now writing up a storm (ie 40 pages) about my treasure hunt through Kenya to find biogas digesters. Yes it's been an adventure! I've mastered many matatu routes out of Nairobi, eaten goat twice in one day with some new biogas friends, walked miles, been picked up on the side of the road, etc, etc. I'm sure you're probably wondering about all of what I just mentioned, especially the part about being picked up on the side of the road (don't worry though, it's not nearly as sketchy as it sounds). I know I probably could have expounded on any of these events and turned it into a nice blog post, but despite the excitement, I've been hesitant to write. Here's the thing – I've reached a point in my time here that I've really begun to feel like I'm living in Nairobi. I've never spent such an extended period of time somewhere besides Ipswich, MA or Rochester, NY until my time in Kenya. A crazy matatu trip has become the everyday, not just some absurd amusement ride like it was three months ago. Marriage proposals from strangers seem normal. And three weeks of diarrhea just seems to have become a part of life. I no longer feel like I'm traveling, just living. But unfortunately (or fortunately...) for you, I sort of feel like it's a little boring to read a blog about everyday life. Thus my lack of motivation to keep you updated. (I apologize if this seems like a cop out.) And now that we're all just hunkering down to write, write, write, I don't think I'll really have anything to share, that is unless me or one of my friends gets swept away by the rainy season flooding. We'll be heading back to the coast in a week for our final presentations which I'm obviously excited for, and then it's off to Zanzibar!

In a digester