5 months in and 4 months to go

In the past couple months, I've been working really hard trying to pass my classes and test meet all the teachers requirements as well as work on cutting hair consultation and have happy clients and good blends. Phhew!! Now I'm half way through my classes, and soon getting a new roomate and on a budget . I've grown up a lot I clean now and almost feel like my mom. The other day I was yelling at my boy friend to put his dishes in the dishwasher. Hahaha I never thought at the age of 19 I would ever say that. TO MY BOYFRIEND!! It was soo silly. I find myself repairing things around my place and just being like a little mom with my kid being my cat! I've also had to balance the relationship and school as well as my family. But I've been so lucky with a great boyfriend who's sweet and so understanding. A mother who is always willing to help me. And my kitty to keep me company when I'm home alone he's the best thing to have around.


I'm trying to get back into hobbies like photography and get a yoga membership. Its in the works. As well as getting a job but I have a good idea on that.


I'm excited to see what's next for me in the big city and in the work world. The options are endless and I'm willing to try them all if I haven't already!!!

a ways to go

Well, its 8 am and I'm at mt school....my ipod is playing "it was faith" well, I think its fitting fot my situation right now? NO. I'm in my school and just listening to my ipod to pass the time. Some part of me wants to just scream and hope they all leave. Ya know like that witch creature that shreeks and makes you go deef? Hahaha that's what I want to happen. On the other end, kippy is growing up! He's growing into his ears. And yesterday he slept part of the night in my tub!


I was looking at my africa pictures the other day, I wanted to get on a plane and fly back home. It was my home. Its been taken from me..

awa

midnight thoughts in NY

Its the second night in my new place!! Yay I feel so independent so free. And then I'm reminded that I'm not there yet. I don't pay my own bills I don't have a steady source of income I'm not in school yet. What am I really doing? I decided to just sit on my fire escape and watch people, have lives know people enjoying themselves. And I wish it was me. I want to go out have fun and meet people. I tried today in fact. As I was walking around and getting food. I talk to people but nothing major met some neighbors in my building seem normal. Or as normal as you can be in NYC without killing a person. Met a guy is really nice, so I'm just enjoying things as they come. And soon hopefully I can be that girl with a good friends and not druggies like I had b4. NYC is my new home, I don't want to regret my move here or having my mother shovel money out to help me. There are so many other paths I could have gone. I just hope I can stick to this one for a while.

The Holidays At Home..

I spent the holidays in the states, it felt weird. having my family around. I was missing Africa a lot, i keep in touch with them and check on how the kids are and what is going on at the school occasionally but it is hard because internet is hard to come by for the cost and all. I miss my Swahili lessons from my little 10 year old brother.

these past weeks i have been just kind of down because when i look out my window i see snow and not a banana tree or wild dogs running around or hear a rooster and sheep in the early hours. Just snow and cold weather reports. I have no more long walks around my village talking to others or playing with the wild dogs. No more family movie nights or football games to watch wiht my father.

No more father around. it kind of puts things in perspective of having a single mother and kind of being an only child these days.

I have two domesticated pets not the wild dogs that would take me into there pack and follow me to and from school or just play around while i picked fleas off another.

I had family, a father a mother two brothers and a sister. i now have 1 cat 1 dog a mother and a older sister living half way round the world. i have alot on my mind around the holidays as it is so having this on top makes things a little crazy. But with the new year i want to stay in touch with my family in Africa. I wish them all well

Returned to the States

So i am Home! the USA that is.

I was sitting on the plane from Arusha to Amsterdam, there was no effect on me that i was really going home. as i waited for my second plane from Amsterdam to the Newark airport. it finally started to sink in that i would not be returning to Africa for a long time, or if at all. i sat on the plane and waited for the take off. I was asleep for most of the flights back home. but i had recurring thoughts of my family in Africa and all that i would miss in the coming weeks.

Just the other day i was doing some chores and i was going to empty and reload the dishwasher....i was in shock that i didn't have to do the dishes by hand. although i wouldn't complain if i did. It was weird having so much more here in the states.

On the Monday after getting home i was talking with my mother about getting a kitten for a while. so when monday came around i decided to start the hunt to find the perfect kitten for my Christmas present.

after being in Africa where pets are not common at all, coming home to a puppy and getting a kitten that are not flea infested and can sleep on your bed and you take care of is great.
so now i have come to relize how much i love animals. From here i will be doing an internship in, NYC working with Art Start a creative center for the underprivileged youths. So i look forward to working in the city and hope that more opportunities come up after i finish my travels.

I am not done yet.

how do you say goodbye?

i finally found internet after my blackberry decided that nolonger will it work. oh well, i can survive.

so my last week with my family (the safari family that is) was not so eventful i played wiht the 6 dogs and the one puppy, relaxed with my thoughts and packed my things for Zanzibar. i think i can say that was very stressful and i knew that my bags would be over weight so i decided to make it three bags instead of 2. BIG MISTAKE!

it has yet to really hit me that i am not going back to my families and that i will not be seeing my brotehrs and sisters forever (hopefully not so). so much of my happiness through thses months was wiht them and the great adventures and laughs we experienced together. i can never forget that and they are my second family that i will always love and hold cloose to my heart.

i have so many photos that i cant wait to share. and i also have so many gift for family and my families here have tought me so much wisdom tha ti want to share it.

i may have also found my true passion which is for animals, as i have said i played wiht the 6 flea infested dogs and i have a story of one of the.

so there are 6 dogs at the safari house,

1-prince
2-bubbie!
3-tips (puppy)
4-old man
5-rascal
6- no name given

so my favorite ones that i useually played with was prince,bubbie, and tips. so one day i decided tha ti needed to check on my secondary project taht many people and freiends help make happen (THANK YOU!). so as i was heading out of the front gate, one of the sleepy dogs woke up and followed me out. Prince, was usually always up early and headed out when i did, so it was not unusual. but after leaving the front gate and heading to my main road, he continued to follow, untill he finaly layed down at oen point did i think ok he will only go this far. so i kept walking up to the main road to meet a fellow intern to walk to school with. but before i was at the road, i heard a little pitter patter of feet behind me and low and behold was prince, rubbing against my leg and nibbiling my ankles. we walked from the main road wiht my fellow intern to the school wiht prince right on my side and the occasional stop and sniff. it was the sweetest thing that he did.

any way, i have too many thoughts on all that i have enjoyed while beiong here that i can not share them all at this one time. But i will say that being in Africa for these three months has made such a great inpact on me that i shall never forget it nor shall i ever want to. I will say that i hope to come back and see my families some day and have the same great time that i have had here now.

I will always have a home here they tell me and that if i do come back that i always have a becd to sleep in and food to eat for free.