Reflections on our 2015 Trip
As we return from our very successful 2015 Run Like a Kenyan…In Kenya trip, I’ve been reflecting on the impact of traveling with such a wonderful group of people and showing them a country that is so dear to me.
Our group after successfully completing the Lewa Marathon & Half-Marathon
The time spent interacting with our travelers and other Kenyans and experiencing the similarities and differences between and across cultures is utterly fascinating and life changing. The ability to be so present and open to the day to day activities, both planned and unpredictable, is something that seems to come so much easier when we are away from our “everyday lives” and immersed in an experience that is so rich and different from our typical day-to-day lives.
The View at Thompson's Falls Lodge in Nyahururu, we spent the night here post Lewa Marathon
Kenya is a tremendous place – I may be biased because I’m from there - but my experience of living between and across two cultures and being able to guide people on such a trip gives me a perspective that I truly cherish. Our visitors had an amazing experience and we’ll be posting more about it in their own words. You can see some of their thoughts here.
View of the Indian Ocean - some of our guests extended their trip to head to Mombasa.
Our guests/travelers really appreciated the culture of kindness, patience, community help, without the stress and pressure that we face often in the US. In Nairobi, we encountered busy strangers who went out of their way to walk us to a destination if we were turned around. We had some temporary car trouble and immediately found help from strangers. Where else do these things happen so easily? These are just some examples of the deep and profound reminders that there is much more of a sense of community care, less isolation, a better ability to handle stress and inconvenience even in the major cities. Not to idealize and minimize any stress that Kenyans face but there are quite some cultural strengths that are worth bringing back to the US.
Timothy Limo, an elite Kenyan runner (far right) and Brother Colm O'Connell, legendary Kenyan coach (middle) took time out of their day to chat with us. Limo showed us around Iten Town and taught a very challenging core class to us and other runners.
Since it’s so hard to summarize the trip in this quick post, please check out our photos - we ran, walked, took public transportation, ate wonderful food, saw many wonderful sites, met many amazing and talented people – athletes, artists, activists, and enjoyed the innovation and creativity that we were around daily! Thank you to those who traveled with us and trusted us to show you our version of what we love about Kenya. We are truly so honored to have spent so much time with you!
View of Nairobi
Please join us for our next trips in October 2015 and June 2016. You can RSVP for our August 2nd Information Session.
Cory
Great Safari Experience.
