My first trip!  I decided to join this team when I was struggling to figure out what to do for my birthday.  Throw a big party for myself?  Spend a quiet evening with my family and close friends?  Such were my first world problems…  I went back and forth a thousand times.  I was itching to go somewhere, and a fantastic safari in 2011 with my dad left me wanting to see more of Africa – from a more “local” view.  But traveling alone over my birthday didn’t quite feel right…

Almost on a whim, I googled “volunteer” and “Kenya” and found the Habitat for Humanity Global Village program.  What?  I thought HFH was a US-focused organization?  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  It turns out, they work in over 40 countries around the globe.  And the paradigm – 1 to 2 week volunteer experiences in local communities helping families in need – was just perfect for what I was looking for at that time.  I contacted several team leaders to inquire about availability on their teams and hooked up with a woman whose life experiences eerily mirrored my own.  How could I not join??  I paid my deposit and bought a ticket before I had time to change my mind.  I’m so glad that I did!

This first trip was an eye opening experience.  There are many stories that are worthy of their own blog posts – my terror upon arrival at having made a mistake in chosing to spend my birthday in Africa far from my family, meeting my “twin brother”, working with the shoeless-gloveless-shirtless stone mason named Collins, becoming friends with people who have never seen a white person in “real life”…  These stories and more will come in time because they are ingrained in my soul and always make me smile.  They deserve to be shared. 🙂

For now, a few photos of this wonderful community and my teammates a/k/a lifelong friends!