3 flights, 3 time zones, 18 plus hours of flight later, I made it! I am spending a day or so in Nairobi, then I'll be heading west to Nakuru, in the Rift Valley. The weather is really nice, low 70's with a lot of beautiful flowers and trees.

I feel pretty good...anxiety over long distance travel having passed, I'm excited to experience the culture and scenery of this country. I'm already comparing/contrasting to my experiences in Ghana. I feel a little jet lag, but not too bad actually.

I had my first authentic Kenyan meal at a busy restaurant for locals (business people, all in suits) I was the only Mzungu there. It was a meal of veg. stew with sides of banana, greens, carrots and some other items I couldn't identify. It was pretty good, but slightly difficult to eat a large lunch when my body thinks it is 5AM.

I'm still in sensory overload mode and not sure what to post, but all is well here. I'm feeling really grateful for this opportunity to be here. More from Nakuru

I leave next week for my 2 month trip to Kenya. There are many purposes for this trip. There will be a service component, research component, site visits and some tourism too.

I plan to spend the first month in the Pipeline IDP camp (IDP= internally displaced persons) in/near Nakuru in the Great Rift Valley. I will be volunteering with a local organization called VICDA. Most likely, I will help teach English, arts-and-crafts, physical education, etc. I'm not exactly sure yet. There are many different projects in progress---new school construction, food aid distribution, development of a medical clinic, etc. I'm not going there thinking I'm going to change the world. I will inevitably gain more than I could ever hope to give.

Completing a Capstone research paper is the last step for me to complete in order to earn my MA in Nonprofit Management from Regis University. Although I am behind in my planning and thesis development, I'm very interested in the role of NGO's/Civil Society in education and empowerment of marginalized and displaced women in Kenya. Although I haven't made as much progress as I had hoped, my goal is to observe and participate in the local cultures that I encounter.

I will also be visiting 2 remarkable women, and the projects they coordinate. Deborah Katina (pictured with the Harvest of Hope planning committee) runs an organization called Yang'at on the W. Kenya/Uganda border. This NGO is focused on improving water access and empowering young girls. Sarah Buretti Tum coordinates a "School Safe Zone' project in/around Nairobi. Both women were excellent keynote speakers at past Harvest of Hope events. I'm so excited to visit their programs and communities that benefited from our special event fundraiser.

I will try to get to Kakuma refugee camp, via a new program at Regis University. "Higher Education at the Margins" is a new online academic program for refugees in the camp. I'm not sure if this will be logistically possible, but I have been in contact with the coordinator. I also hope to make it to the coastal city of Mombasa...the heart of Swahili culture. There is a training on post-traumatic stress disorder that I have been invited to attend. Who knows where I'll end up. As I have learned in the past, nothing really happens as planned....

Thanks for your interest in my trip and all your support. I'm really excited and anxious for this experience.