Tuesday 8 November 2011

home...where the heart is

we all have various definitions for home....i know that i use the word interchangeably with a lot of different places, and people often do get confused. i use the word home to describe vancouver, the place where my parents live in dallas, the hotel that will check into if i have been on the road....and so many other places. each place is unique and is called home for various reasons....

i am in nairobi, kenya for work this week...and well, yes...you guessed it - nairobi is home for me this week. but this isnt like a hotel home, or a temporary home. this is very much a real home - just like my parents house. this is familiar, this is warm (literally and figuratively), this is loving...this is where my heart is! in feb of 2008, i made my first trip to my ancestral land (kenya) and it was amazing! upon landing there was a feeling of nostalgia that i felt - it was like i have been here before. i spent time with my family here - people who i respect and love beyond belief, people who are so kind and who understand the real meaning of the word family! i was just here for a short trip, but on the trip, i was asked to relocate to nairobi. without hesitation, i said YES!

i had the opportunity to live in nairobi and travel through east africa in my two and a half years here. it was a great experience. being here taught me so much about life and struggle and that happiness is what you make of it. being here also showed me that i have a home here. i have people who i love and care for, and who love and care for me. i have people who i can laugh and cry with, people who are close to me and people who i can depend on. i had a purpose here. and well, now is no different. as i run into familiar faces here, i realize that this is home, this is where my heart is...this is one place that i can be happy and i can thrive! this is true for kenya and tanzania...i have been spoiled here....when i am back in canada, i do ask myself what would life be like if i were still here....and well, it would pretty amazing. one day, i hope to return to my home in africa!


asante sana kenya, tanzania! asante sana...


peace and love....as the rain falls in africa....