http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Kasey--s-Travel-Blog/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Kasey s Travel Blog en-us Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:07:27 +0000 Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:07:27 +0000 It's been a huge week here in Kenya. Not just for me but for the country as a whole. Oooh Where to begin. . . I'll start with giving you a tidbit of the mayhem that broke out on our ride to Eldoret Kenya to visit an IDP camp. When people talk about learning about 'real' Kenya they often are referring to understanding the depths of the poverty disease and hunger that occur here. However t http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Rift-Valley-Province/Eldoret/blog-417792.html I want to start off this post by thanking everyone for all of the comments. It's really nice that you're all interested and following along with everything here and it really means a lot to me I've spent a lot of time thinking about everything that happened in the beginning of last week and of course asking the typical 'why' and 'how' questions. Although I don't think there is ever going to be http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-415845.html I have to say that the past 3 days have been some of the roughest days since I got here and also the first days that have really made me realize that I am NOT in America or just 'playing doctor' I am in rural Africa surrounded by some of the toughest situations I have ever seen. I'll explain. . . I've been spending most of my time in the clinic with the physician George. We have a pretty goo http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/blog-414049.html Here's to hoping this post actually survives the sketchy internet here in Africa and makes it through the airwaves. I say this because on Saturday I spent about 45 minutes giving a relatively detailed update of the week per Erin's request while making my roommates patiently wait so I could finish. Naturally as soon as I hit the 'publish' button I got that pleasant white screen that says Er http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/blog-413349.html I think it's safe to say that I have experienced culture shock in many regards throughout the past week and a half. I am finally settled into a place where I am staying for another month and doing my best to alter my mindset from that of an awestruck tourist which I am to trying to find purpose and reason in being here. Unfortunately trying to integrate myself into everyday Kenya is incredib http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-410437.html How do I even begin to talk about the madness that has been this week I guess I'll begin with the essentials I am safe happy and haven't been mauled by any wild animals so that's a good start. Anyways the trip here was relatively uneventful except for the fact that I was in such a state of exhaustion from Germany that I foolishly wore shorts to the airport. Thus the 9 hour layover in Egy http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Serengeti-National-Park/blog-407580.html Wow so much has happened since the last update that I dont even really know what to say or how to fit it all in here. Since I last wrote we have been to been to Cinque Terra Rome and are now back in Frankfurt enjoying the last day of the most amazing trip ever. Again the moping is back as I am not happy to be leaving Europe but I suppose all good things must come to an end if it came to http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Hessen/Frankfurt/blog-405550.html We're coming to the end of our Madrid trip and are headin out for the airport in about 6 hours. The irony of this is that we decided to go ahead and stay in tonight as opposed to going out with a few of Tim's friends to give ourselves a nice 'easy' night but at this point our sleep schedules are so out of whack that I'll be lucky to get in 4 hours tonight. Fortunately for me I have mastered th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/District-of-Madrid/Madrid/blog-403675.html know that I had previously whined about having to leave London and not being ready. Well I'm pretty much in repeat of that scenario right now. We are sitting the Dublin airport waiting to depart for Madrid and I am back to my moping self because I am simply not ready to go I think one of the great benefits of these vacations is that I am only in one place long enough to absolutely fall in love http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/District-of-Madrid/Madrid/blog-403108.html We have safely arrived in Dublin Our sanity on the other hand is loosely intact. I know I already wrote an entry this morning describing our London trip but we have a little bit of time before we can check into our hostel and the luxury of free wifi at the Dublin Public Library which I am an official member of now. . . Requirement to use the computer. . . so I am going to take advantage. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Ireland/County-Dublin/Dublin/blog-401936.html Oh London. . . I honestly don't even know where to begin but I can tell you this. . . If this trip were to end right now it would still be worth every penny that we have spent. Currently it is 4am and I am sitting in the Stratford airport partially delirious from sleep deprivation and partially moping that it is time to leave London. It has been absolutely incredible and so much more than I ev http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Stratford/blog-401848.html My first official entry from Europe How exciting. . . Aside from one detour which lead us astray for a short amount of time our drive to Chicago was relatively uneventful. We were greeted by Katies family and were able to stay in their incredible house. The hospitality was great to say the least and the accomodations were certainly the best that I'll see for the rest of the summer After scra http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Hessen/Frankfurt/blog-400815.html This is just to test out this thing and make sure I know what I'm doing. I am very much NOT Technically Savvy. . . But hey I'll do my best. . . . http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Kansas/blog-398750.html