My first week here was awful. I had a fever that wouldn’t quit. My mini couldn’t keep food down and once she recovered she had to care for me until I got better. I couldn’t find one positive thing to focus on. Do I blame the workaway? The host? Would I have gotten sick if I had stayed in the city? Did I forget to use my bottled water when I brushed my teeth? What about the malaria pills? I was supposed to take those 1-2 weeks before traveling to Kenya. There’s no blame to be placed. I got sick. It is what it is. The only thing I can control is my attitude.
The power keeps going out, there’s no hot water, I’ve been eating rice, beans, and French fries every day. I’m still looking for the positive. Yes, I enjoyed the few days at the school 
with the children but that was overshadowed when I learned the school would be closing.
Had I known in advance, and there was plenty of time to have been informed, I would have changed my travel plans. The whole purpose of
the workaway was to volunteer. Now, I’ll be here for two more weeks with no plans. Maybe that is the positive. I’ve been saying that I need to be still but I keep going. I work more than I need to, I prepare more lessons, I stay up late and wake up early. Maybe, these next two weeks I will be still. These last three days I was forced to be. As I type this the power’s gone out, once again; there’s only so much I can accomplish in the dark with dying batteries.
Yesterday, I finally felt whole again and have energy to carry myself out of bed. Having a host has its benefits. She offered to setup a safari trip but I didn’t feel well enough to agree to a three-day excursions. Instead, my mini and I, took a day-trip. First we visited the Elephant Orphanage and learned about how the elephants are rescued, rehabilitated, and then released back into the wild. My mini’s favorite animal is the elephant so when the speaker announced that they allowed visitors to adopt an elephant at $50 for one year, I knew I was coming off that fifty. After the presentation, we headed to Giraffe Manor (my favorite animal) and had the chance to feed and kiss the giraffes – I opted for a hug. It was a much-needed day. I didn’t work, I didn’t check my email (even though I badly want to – I can’t. I’ve figured if the power goes out after 6 pm it’s not coming back on until the next day), I just chilled with my mini and that was enough.
Leave a Reply