Already Back but Wishing I Wasn’t..

Been back for only two days now and already wishing I was back in Kenya.

Seriously, how could you want to leave all these beautiful faces behind?

Each trip that I have made to Africa has been so different and is just as (probably more) incredible than the last.

I knew this trip wouldn’t be like any of my last ones since I would be traveling with almost all guys and I would be be doing my own thing most of the time.

(Almost the whole group, missing Mark and Jimmy Cooper)

 

As many of you already know Africa has stolen my heart, totally and completely.

Every part of me wants to just pick up my life and move it over there and someday (maybe even soon) that might just happen.

On this visit I spent a lot of my time doing research to potentially start a co-op in Kitale.

I was running around looking at buildings, visiting markets, meeting tailors and even visiting a local sewing school trying to collect information.

I not only have a huge heart for Africa but I am also all about empowering women especially in parts of the world where this isn’t usually seen.

In May while I was in Rwanda, I got to work with 10 amazing women who we were able to provides jobs and maybe even a little hope for a better future.

Since then my life has been totally and completely turned upside down (in a good way).

And after being in Kenya in November I have wanted to bring that empowerment and hope to the women of Kitale too.

So, Denise and I had lots of conversations about how to make that happen.

So, on this trip she let me spend my time doing the research needed to make a plan.

(The kids loved poking my little white feet, they also LOVED rubbing my tattoos and seeing that they never went away..even had one kid spit in his hand then try to wash them off)

 

I did also get to spend time with the kids that had also stolen my heart last time.

Putting this part into the words has been on my mind since we saw them again last Monday.

I don’t even know if there is a way to put it into words, seeing them makes my heart ache and being away from them makes it ache even more.

Visiting the slum and seeing where most of them have come from was one of the hardest parts of this trip and I’m still having a hard time processing what we saw. It makes coming home to my nice house and comfy life so much harder.

Guilt. That is what I have come home to every time and I don’t know if I’ll ever make a trip there and not come home feeling this way?

As I was flying home I had a lot of alone time to just think and process.

I kept asking myself, “do you think there will ever be a time that you go to Africa and it doesn’t wreck your life?”

And I think the answer is no.

(Love being at the school and with all the kids that just wanna love on us all day long)

(Will always love them, snot-nosed and all)

Yesterday was my first day back to work and my head still hasn’t stopped spinning since being home.

Getting back to everyday life is such a weird and hard time.

After seeing everything I have seen and hearing all the stories that I heard and then having to come back and jump right back into my busy

life is always such a hard thing for me to do.

I am thankful for all my friends that let me just sit and talk their ears off for hours about everything while I know that they won’t truly get it until they too make the trip and see and hear and spend time with the people of Africa and witness it all for themselves.

Okay, I have so much more to say but want to let in finish processing and find the right words before sharing.

So until then here is one more photo of a cute boy that holds my heart.

-Kiara