Life By the Numbers. Worth It.

6 ½ : number of months I’ve lived in Kenya

26: number of mosquito bites I have had at one time

1: number of cups of water I need to wash my hair

8: number of cups of water for a bucket bath.   Gotta conserve.  

This one time… my waterman failed to bring me water for 10 days (and it hadn't rained in a while so couldn't get water that way) so I was forced to bathe using a bottle of water.  Surprisingly, I was clean.  True story.

You know that saying glass half full vs half empty.  A Peace Corps Volunteer can take that glass and bathe in it.  Fact.  And probably use it to do some laundry.  I kid not.

3: number of people I’ve seen hit by a motorcycle/car.

37: number of kids that knock on my door wanting to play everyday.

3: number of soccer balls that have popped.  The number would be larger if I continued to supply.

45-60: number of minutes it takes me to walk to my market town/bank/post office/supermarket depending on my pace.  It’s gorgeous by the way.  But don’t take my word for it, come see for yourselves. 

Maybe 4 and that’s being generous: number of books I read in a year in the States.  

Ok, or my whole life.  

4: number of books I am currently in the middle of.

12: number of books I have finished.

9: number of donuts I ate in one day resulting in a bellyache like a 5 yr old.  Don’t judge.  There is no snack food here.  Unless of course you are a fan of eating dried minnows or catching termites. 

12: number of potatoes I eat in a week. 

27: number of people I've been sardined in a matatu with.  (This is a 14 passenger mini van taxi.)  

Of course a few chickens and dead fish were also present.  Smells awesome.  Wish I could include a scratch and sniff for you here.  Pole sana...  Very sorry.  

18: number of hours I spent on a bus in one day…with a chicken under my feet. 

Too many.  I’ve lost track:  number of times I’ve been in a vehicle with a goat.  

(Goats ride at the same cost as humans.)

1: number of monkeys I’ve seen hop a gate.  Grab a woman’s doggy bag and hop on the roof of the restaurant to enjoy free dinner.

16: number of shots I’ve been given to be here.  Ain’t no thang.

1,440: number of minutes I sweat in a day.  Ok that’s all of them.  Exaggeration but it’s dang hot under a tin roof.  (Incredibly grateful for the roof over my head though.)

3: number of minutes it takes for my hair to dry after being washed.  Who needs a blow dryer with the African sun and tin roof yo.

3: number of minutes it then takes for my hair to become drenched in sweat.

4,680/ Every one since I hopped the plane: number of hours I’ve missed my nephew, Roman.

All of them.  Well maybe that’s pushing it: number of kids I want to adopt when I grow up.

A ridiculous amount.  You’d be surprised: number of people who ask if I know Obama after finding out I’m American.   After I tell them: Ya, the President, but I don’t know him personally.  

Their next question: Oh, well how about Michelle?

 A gajillion: number of times I’ve been reminded how lucky I am at the chance I was born in the States; and that alone promises me a fair chance in life. 

Many: number of mornings I wake up and have to remind myself where I am and what I am doing. 

99: percentage of the time that I think to myself: How cool is what I’m doing.  I live in mother loving Kenya.  This is my life!?  Awesome. 

1/flipside: percentage of the time I think: This is my life!?????  I live in mother loving Kenya?  What am I doing????

Here’s the thing every Peace Corps Volunteer has sacrificed to be here.   We have all left very different lives back in the States.  Comfortable ones, at that.  With Bacon Cheeseburgers!

I could tell you about the number of times I wished I had a cold Gatorade.  20 and that’s only been in the last 8 hours.  Actually, I’d even take it hot these days  (Gatorade it’s the thing I’m stuck on missing right now.)  I could mention how I wish I could wash my clothes, I mean have a machine wash my clothes and then throw them in a dryer.  I could tell you the outrageous number of times I miss my family, fast food, home cooked meals, toilets, entertainment, showers/hot water, FOOD, football and game time food, BUT the point I’m getting at is that all the adjustments, shots, mosquito bites, lack of amenities and food choice/flavor: Worth it.

So Worth it.

I live in Kenya!  I have this incredible opportunity before me.  People get excited to see me and cheer for me everyday.  I love where I'm at and what I'll be working on for the next 20 months.  More on that in upcoming posts... next year. 

I don’t want to get preachy (and really I don’t know how I’ve ended up here) but we really don’t know how great we’ve got it. 

Enjoy your family, friends, and of course the food during this holiday season! 

Miss you all 1,000 and ten%