Tradition v. Growing up

Trip log:

"On our way to safari, we've passed so many people. People who live in remoteplaces and bustling markets. We've met children and seen so many plants andanimals. I feel the overwhelming real ness of being here. Its a dream, apicture, a video clip or something intangible and yet under my feet. Researchalive. Most importantly though I'm sensing a turning point in my life. I've hadno goals after this I've had no passion for anything in particular but I knowsomething now. I know that things that children only dream about and things thatseem impossible take endurance. And for that reason I now hope to endure toaccomplish more, more than I thought possible. Inevitably I am becomingthe girl that is out of touch. The one who shares stories but notexperiences. Soon enough I'll have to embrace the fact that my accomplishmentsdo not void my authenticity, but they do advance you away from things you onceidentified with. That's growth I suppose. So far, Africa has taught me growthand respect for people, for lives not yet lived and those left in the past."

As we drove to the Masai Resort, I noticed a change in the environment from city-life to the rural/remote lifestyle of the Masai people. It triggered a very interesting response in me to notice how Kenyans were able to preserve their past and future within miles of each other. In America, I feel it is so common to leave your past behind you as you move forward, however, in Kenya both cultures (traditional & popular) seemed like two halves of a whole country, nothing really left behind because both were treated with a mutual respect. I pondered this as we moved through our 6 hour ride, and my body became numb from the tremendous amount of bouncing, shaking, and jumping along the rocky road of the Rift Valley. I looked out the window for hours before it dawned on me that Kenya was showing me another life lesson. I have been afraid of moving away from the person I was growing up. Worried that if I deviated too far from my inner-city kid mentality, I would no longer be authentic and would lose a piece of my identity. In some ways, this idea has held me back from pursuing other opportunities, mostly because it has become a mental block in my perception of the things I have and am able to accomplish. I've worried about becoming the symbol of privilege that I'd always resented, but on this trip I realized it was soon to be inevitable.

However, just as the Masai people exist in the same world and time as the more modern citizens of Nairobi, development incorporates all aspect of a person's identity. I will always be the girl I grew up as, her experiences are my own. As I grow older some things will have to change and many things will have to be let go to make room for the new experiences and education that will be added to my life. This does not make me any less authentic, and this is not me selling out. I've learned to look at it as two halves of the entire me, my past and my future working together to build the life that I am living. I appreciated this in the same way I appreciated learning the traditional values and customs of the Masai, and comparing them to the very similar values of the streetboys we spoke to in Dagoretti Market. Many things can change about a country, a culture, or a person in the process of growth, but the essence of who you are will always be incorporated in who you want to be.

Arielle, Corinne, Kelly, Meagan, Raven, and I singing with the women of the Masai Mara village.