Two Weeks, Two Surgeries, and Ten Thousand Miles Later...

Needless to say my Peace Corps experience has been far from normal and eight months ago I would never have expected to be back in the states having lived through bucket baths, safaris, crazy food, living in a utility closet, swam in the Indian ocean, had an appendectomy and last of all get my face smashed in.

(Trust me I wrote a pre-leaving expectations post, and half of those weren't in there)

But here I am medically evacuated two weeks after the attack and because I now have access to fairly decent internet I give you my eye after two weeks of healing, two surgeries, and a million eye drops later:

Drum-roll please....

And a little closer up:

Reeeeeeal sexy.



Shaken, Stirred, and Shifted

It's super cliche but we all have moment in our lives where our perspective is shifted. Sometimes it's a literally physical and emotional upheaval, sometimes it's a small change or bump. It can be a simple event, sometimes a tragedy.

Recently for me, it's been a little of all of it, and kind of none of it...

As most of you have probably heard myself and a couple other volunteers were mugged outside of our hotel in Nairobi early on the night of the 12th. Thankfully, I was the only one physically injured. (Follow-up, picture post to come), with some trama to my eye.

Overall, it should be a pretty tramatic event.  I mean one of the biggest fears, especially being abroad, is being assulted, right? This is where my perspective has been stirred, so to speak. I have had people tell me that I am such a strong person, or that I'm handling it so well, or that I'm brave, but I don't feel any of that.

I just feel like me.

I feel strongly about weird things, and calm about others. I don't feel angry at the people who did this to me, yet I am extremely frustrated that I am being taken away from my work. I don't feel afraid to be alone or be out anywhere but I do feel over-particular when it comes to making decisions now...

Tomorrow I am being flown to the capital (of America) to be poked, prodded and reviewed by some of the best opthalmologists in the country.  The eye, overall, is healing well, however I am experiencing doubled vision when I use both eyes at the same time. Potentially the rest of the outcome of my life could be affected by what turns-up (or doesn't) from their examinations and I don't know how I feel about it.

Everything could change, how am I gonna be able to handle it?

Re-makes and Do-overs

Sometimes it feels like much of our lives are filled with attempts at re-making ourselves, or trying to redo mistakes. I actually like mistakes. Don’t get me wrong, often times they hurt a lot. I like them though because you learn from them, grow from them.


But I’m tired of feeling like I’m trying to re-do myself.

We all have natural points in our lives where it is inevitable that we try to change ourselves or “improve who we are”. Pre-pubescence into post- puberty is one perfect example. Othertimes, we’re kinda suckers for tragedy, leaning on the black eyes and bleeding lips to wake us up to the reality that we aren’t being who we wanted to be.

Unfortunately, I feel like I’ve been on a constant two-year cycle of attempting to “remake the man” since I can remember; First days of high school, first days after my suicide attempt junior year, first days of college, first days of going away to university, first days after graduation, first days of Peace Corps… I don’t regret any of them. They were needed. At the time these have all been the forms of Nathan that have needed to exist.

But when does it end.

When do I stop trying to hit the restart button, and simply decide to keep building onto the solid framework of myself that has already been built?

Charisma Kenya

Have you ever had a moment that was so unexpected, so wonderful, and so exciting that it seems like it could have been nothing more then divine intervention?

I did.

It all started because I forgot to take a picture for my Community Needs Assessment.  As I was waiting for my matatu to leave so I could head out for our group's In-service Training, I quickly decided to grab a quick pic.  As I was heading back to the matatu I was stopped by a gentlemen who as to tell me about his organization, unfortunately the bus was leaving without me so we set up a meeting for when I returned.

During our meeting James told me all about his Community Based Organization called Charisma Kenya. The ultimate goal for the organization is to finish building an orphanage in the nearby community of Wiyomiririe. Unfortunately, he has been doing most of the work entirely by himself.  As the organization he has bought the land (2 acres) and just have to gather enough money and water bottles (5 million to be exact) to build the complex. That's right a building made of water bottles.

Example:

This has been such a God-send for several reasons. First, it gives me a HUGE project to be working on that will hopefully take up a good amount of my time. Second, it is a project related to Orphans and Vulnerable Children which I have a huge heart for AND is a significant part of emphasized work for PCV's. Third, James is willing to help me with a Choo building project in the community. (It only takes about 100 waterbottles and the cost of a door and roof to build one!) and finally it is a perfect way for YOU back in the states to help partner with me in my work here in Kenya (more to come on that).

This has definitely helped with my feeling of purpose in being here in Kenya and made me SO excited to continue my work!