ive arrived!

hello all :)

well i arrived. as most of you know, my flight was changed last minute and after 24 hours of pure chaos and freaking out (thanks to those of you that put up with me) i made it to Nairobi! since my flight was pushed up 24 hours i booked a hotel near the airport until i can meet up with someone from IVHQ. i made it to my hotel at 12:30am, and crashed immediately after wayyyyy too long of traveling!

the plane rides were alright. i ended up with a middle seat for both flights (9 hours each) so that was unfortunate, but i lucked out by meeting two very nice gentlemen. on my second flight i sat next to a man from Texas who now lives in Bujumbura for his job as a contractor, which is an hour flight from Nairobi. he was very nice! (and cute :) ) and offered to show me around if i ever wanted to visit with him this summer. it was very reassuring to meet a fellow american and exchange contact info!

for those of you that are convinced i will find a husband this summer you will find the following entertaining - when attaining my visa yesterday the woman working told me: (while reading my passport) "you are single?? you have a beautiful smile miss! if you continue to show that while in Kenya you will have all the men asking to be your husband and you will never leave!" that gave me a good laugh after all my travels! :)

here are a few things i have learned in my short time in Nairobi already:
1. cab drivers here have the same mentality as those in Greece, if you want to pass someone and the other lane is not available, use the shoulder of the road!
2. 50-60 degrees is cold. when i arrived at my hotel the security guard came out to the car in a jacket, pants, hat, and one of those ski masks that we Wisconsinites feel is only necessary when it is 20 below zero! keep in mind i was dressed in yoga pants and a tshirt.
3. nothing is done in a hurry, which is something i could stand to learn from. i think the rest of the world is onto something here - we in America seem to be the only ones obsessed with time.

anyway, i need to get going - i have to check out of my hotel in the next hour and i have no idea if/where i am meeting someone from IVHQ. i think this may also have something to do with the lack of urgency with time here...
well until next time!!
xoxo