All my bags are packed and managed to get here in one piece

Hello Friends and Family,
I am pretty sure my grandma is the only one who is going to keep up with this blog
(and maybe one of those people on Facebook who never to talk to you but you know look at your pictures). Regardless, it might be nice to keep track of the happenings over the next two months I am in Kenya. Here we go...

The trip to Nairobi was extremely eventful. I arrived at the Cincinnati airport intending to fly to Detroit in order to connect to a flight in Amsterdam.. Due to flight delays and changes, I left Cincinnati on a flight to Paris...in first class. This flight was amazing, 4 different meal choices, complimentary everything, plush blankets, fully reclining seats and an adorable flight attendant to gently wake me up for breakfast in the morning. This must be how people who have more than $100 in their savings account feel every day. Delightful to say the least.

After rushing through the Paris airport to catch a connecting flight in Amsterdam, I met up with the rest of my group and, coincidentally, the man who is going to be my boss for the next two months, David Kuria. We all boarded our final flight to Nairobi together and settled in for nine non-first class hours.

My luggage did not make it to Nairobi but I gave my temporary address to the airline and it showed up two days later without having to talk to a single person on the phone. It might have given me a few gray hairs but it was more efficient than anything I have experienced in the US.

Our first few days we have spent getting used to Nairobi and the time change. I kissed a giraffe at the giraffe preserve this weekend. It was so amazing seeing them up close. We are living in an area called Kilimani. For right now we are staying in a guest house but will soon be moving to a beautiful apartment. I didn't realize that my Nairobi digs were going to be such a step up from real life in Denver...no offense to the Vine street ladies.

Today was my first official day at Ecotact (the company hosting my internship). Ecotact builds a product called ikotoilets. I will be working with the ikotoilet model in schools and developing a communication campaign to get students to maintain good hygiene. It sounds simple but many of these students are accustomed to using pit latrines and very rarely wash their hands. Poor sanitation and water conditions kill thousands of children in Kenya each year. I am very excited to be working within the schools and have a great partner at Ecotact. I am even learning some Swahili... Karibu means welcome. We can all learn together.

This was a long post. I will try to be better about writing so that you can hear more stories and less lists of events. I miss you all so much already! (Grandma stop worrying) Keep me updated on everything going on at home.

Ash