Happy (belated) Summitversary!

Sunday, October 24th was our Kilimanjaro Summitversary!  Aren't travel friends the best? In celebration, I'm posting two never before seen Kilimanjaro summit photos.  Little gems I came across while updating my portfolio - enjoy!

Quote of the Day

From my iGoogle homepage today: "Coming home from very lonely places, all of us go a little mad: whether from great personal success, or just an all-night drive, we are the sole survivors of a world no one else has ever seen."  - John le Carre

My 2L

Today is Blog Action Day and the topic is one of my favorites. Water. "Can I start you off with something to drink, Miss?" "I'm fine with water, thanks." Yep, I'm that girl.  Why would I order a sugary soda for $3.95 when I can cleanse my body of toxins and have unlimited free refills?. [...]

Maji for the Maasai, Irene’s fear of monkeys

Take a look at Irene's VICDA Blog to read about the drilling for water for the Maasai community.  This post is a perfect example of why I love Irene: she successfully combines a heartwarming story of water in a community that continually suffers from drought with a humours tale of being chased by monkeys.  Oh, [...]

#29 – Gave a presentation on my experience in Kenya

Last night I was able to cross my first item off of my 30 before 30 list! Since returning from my first trip to Kenya in 2007 (and then again in 2009), I've wanted to put together some sort of presentation about my experience, but the task always seemed daunting.  So many stories, so many [...]

Legalized Changaa

I couldn't help but share this story I found about the legalization of cheap Kenyan moonshine, changaa. Oh, changaa.  Back when I was young and foolish, I drank a hot cup of you out of a barrel brewing in Kibera.  You were strong and comforting, like whiskey.

A Big Day in Kenya

Photograph: Dai Kurokawa/EPAI'll admit it. I actually got a bit teary this morning when reading reports of the ratification of Kenya's new constitution. This is a big step for Kenya. While the old constitution, which was drafted with the British colonizers in 1963, centralized power with the president and allowed for exploitation of tribal divisions, [...]

Luol Deng Visits Refugees

The other day I saw this audio slideshow of BBC World News of Chicago Bull, Luol Deng, returning to refugee camps in Northern Kenya and Southern Sudan.  Most sports fans know Deng's rags to riches story: as a young boy, he and his family fled their home in Sudan and now he is one of [...]