Three Weeks Stateside

Wow, I can't quite believe that it has already been three weeks - plus a few hours - since I flew out of Nairobi.

Life has been crazy, but good, in an almost completely different type of good than in Kenya (including a computer that decided that it was time for it's life to end, and that it should eat all of my non-backed up pictures and documents from the last three weeks in the process...).

After spending a few days in New York with Melissa, I landed back in the Tri-cities for a week and a half of oh-crud-Jessica-hates-public-speaking moments. Lol. No, it wasn't really as bad as all of that, but the irony of the situation was not lost on most people who have known me since my "holding up the wall" underclassman days of high school.

Okay. Who are we kidding? I still prefer to hold up walls. :P

By the end of my time at home, the elementary, middle school, high school, and college groups at church had heard stories about our town in Kenya, as well as a good chunk of adults who came to the open house. Plus, at last count, at least seven middle or high school guys ended up wearing the "man skirt" or kikoy that I brought back with me...although, I never did convince my dad to try it on. Apparently, you become much too mature for such things after the age of forty. (Love ya, Dad!)

He did help put together a "hut" for the open house presentation, and he even forgave us for never getting any pictures of the finished product. Or any pictures of the night, for that matter, including the pillau and sukuma that my Mom and Mrs. Adams made, or the brave few who actually ate said food with their fingers.

All in all, the presentations were a good thing, even if just for the fact that they gave a chance to reconnect with people that I hadn't seen in sixteen months. (And, it was super funny to watch the faces of kids who I had as kindergarteners in 06-07, as they tried to decide if I really was who they thought I was.)

One of the girls, who had been in my CHECK class, told me after middle school sunday school that, "You haven't changed at all!" Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but, hey, I'll take what I can get. Lol!