I just celebrated my
25th Birthday in Nakuru, Kenya. I’m extremely blessed to have this
experience, and thought I would share some nuggets of wisdom I’ve picked up the
last 8 months…along with pictures, of course!
25. Don’t drink
the water. Outside the US, it’s just not a good idea, no matter how good it
looks.
24. Bucket showers
rarely get all of the shampoo out of your hair. Nor does cold water.
23. Llama’s, with ears pointed forward, are not
friendly. In fact, they very well may
chase after you. It’s terrifying.
22. Don’t plan on drinking cold Coca Cola. Everywhere has coke. Only a few places have it cold.
21. Don’t ask what you’re eating until you’re
done. And by that point it really doesn’t matter anymore!
20. Headphones are good for avoidance. Even if you’re not listening to anything,
people won’t talk to you. You don’t typically take pictures of people who don’t want to talk to you…
19. Washing clothes by hand is an art form I
haven’t developed. Dunking clothes in
soapy water followed by clean water…that’s as close as it gets for this girl.
18. Bodily functions are nothing to be ashamed
of. If the roti gets your tummy
rumbling, the chapatti the next month will give someone else the same woes.
17. Always carry toilet paper. Squatty potty’s don’t stock it, nor do most
toilets, WC’s, restrooms, or banos. Southeast Asia, however, you may have the convenience
of a bidet!
16. Most bugs will not kill you.
15. With work projects, do it the cultural
way. They like to think they know what
they’re doing, and you just get to go along for the ride.
14. While it doesn’t appear to be so, most public
transportation is safe. They know the
roads. They’ve driven it plenty of times.
Just pray and relax.
13. Laundry only needs to be washed when it’s too
smelly to wear again. Likewise, showers
are only necessary when you smell bad…or look bad enough a hat can’t cover it
up.
12. Mosquito nets only work when you don’t let
mosquitoes in your net.
11. Roosters are the most obnoxious alarm clock.
By far.
10. Kids are adorable. Everywhere.
9. Do things you can’t do at home…like visit
the equator.
8. You will never agree with everyone
100% of the time. Get used to embracing other’s despite their
opinions.
7. Man created the watch, not God. Life moves a lot slower in other parts of the
world. Much less stress.
6. Don’t flush unless it’s necessary…otherwise
you might not have water when you NEED it.
5. Learn to laugh at yourself…all of the
locals do it anyway.
4. Stay hydrated, thus avoiding passing out
while evangelizing. I don’t suggest it.
3. Embrace American food whenever
possible…from Dr. Pepper to Pizza to Mac
and Cheese (Happy Birthday to me!)
2. Perfect the pack. Pack it so that you can
get it out of the airporter for the long treks across borders and on
metro-trains. Also be able to pack in
less than 10 minutes, as miscommunication on leave time is possible!
1. God is in control, whether you’re in America,
Central America, Southeast Asia, or Africa, you’re in good hands.
