the fact that I have one week left in Nairobi makes me a little sad, but mostly really really happy. Although the classes have been pretty helpful when it comes to understanding the political situation here, I'm just really ready to get to my internship. Even though my family has been great for the most part (other than my crazy older sister who keeps asking if I will give her all of my belongings and take her to the united states), I am looking forward to a completely different living situation (and having a little bit more privacy!) I found out I'm living in Mombasa town with a Muslim family. I have 4 brothers and sisters but some of them are at boarding school. My dad lives in Dubai so it will be a quiet household. I have my own room and apparently we have running water...so yay! I also found out I'm going to be working for the Foundation for Sustainable Development in Kenya. They have alot of different programs and it sounds like it is going to be really flexible with what I want to do. I'm pretty excited.

Sorry I haven't been able to put up pictures...I tried but unfortunately it doesn't look like this is going to happen until I return to the states.

I finally went to Kibera (largest slum in Africa) yesterday to volunteer at a childrens center. I'm not even sure how to describe it. There wre so many burn marks from where shacks and stalls had been burned down in post election violence. There were literally whole "blocks" of area that had been burned to the ground. It was pretty incredible. The thing that amazed me was that as we walked through these slums, when you looked at the people living there, if you saw them on the streets of nairobi you wouldn't neccessarily know they came from a slum. It also really put things into perspective for me in regards to my own living situation in Kenya. Sure, I complain about not having running water very often, or the fact that my bed is really uncomfortable, but that is nothing compared to what all the people in the slum have to deal with. There are one million people living in a one square mile radius in utter poverty. That is unreal to me. I am living in luxury in comparison so the squalor that is in Kibera. At the same time, there are so many organizations running out of Kibera trying to do so many good things. The center we went to was absolutely wonderful. The children in the center were so so so beautiful. a good portion of them have special needs so it was great to see that there were organizations that were so inclusive of children from all walks of life. I'm going back on Monday and Thursday to do some more tutoring at the after school program. It felt really good to do something productive with my time, so I'm glad I have made a connection with this wonderful organization. I finally feel like I actually going to be doing something that is making a difference while here.

On a totally random note...I've been pretty homesick lately. I think I am just starting to realize that life is going on without me back home and I just really miss everyone. I woke up this morning and had a good cry for no real reason other than I missed hugging. I don't know why this thought came into my head, but I just really wanted to come downstairs and hug my dad like I do when I am home in the states, and I wanted to walk across elon's campus and see a bunch of people I knew and not be the only white person walking down the street. OK enough complaining from me. I really do love it here. I just miss everyone at home too!

on that note...love and miss you all. keep writing notes they really give me the pick me up I need