Goodbye Kenya!

*Written on 2/5/2026

 Well well! This update comes to you from the Nairobi airport as I begin my long journey home. As I sit here waiting for my first flight, it still doesn’t feel real that I am leaving this amazing place that I have come to know as a second home. Emotions are definitely high as I am equally as excited to return home as I am sad that I have to say goodbye to this chapter of my life. But, my last couple of weeks have been so crazy and bittersweet – the perfect send off!

One particularly special part of my last week was that a friend that I met my first week here returned to the country and I got to spend the week with her! I only got to spend a few days with her in August as, she left just 5 days after I arrived. In the short time that we met, we became fast friends and she taught me so much about life in Nairobi. Since then, we stayed in close contact, and I am so glad she was able to come back before I left. Having someone here my first week and then for them to come back for my last week felt so full circle! It’s like I was in the same place and with the same person, but I feel like I have grown so much within my time here and that growth felt even more evident with her here.

Some of the past few days were the busiest the clinic has been since I have been working there. While the days were exhausting, I am grateful for the opportunity it gave me to see a few of our regular patients one last time before I left. As I have often mentioned in the past, a lot of the patients seen in the clinic are managing some chronic illness and come in quite often. This gave me the opportunity to grow close with many of our patients and so I was happy to see them for a proper goodbye before leaving. One such patient even offered up her brother in a marriage proposal to keep me from leaving haha! In my final day, the staff at both the clinic and the UCESCO office showered me with love and gifts as I said farewell.

This week has certainly carried the heavy weight of understanding that it was my last, but I made the most of it regardless. My days were spent focusing on my work at the clinic and I soaked up my last opportunities to enjoy the city in the evenings. I got to take one final walk around Karura Forest, go out for a nice meal, and visit some of my regular spots for some last-minute souvenir shopping. Nairobi is such a wonderful, unique city and I know that the current goodbye is really a see-you-later.

As I prepare to board this flight, I am filled with gratitude at the blessing that the last six months have been. I have seen and experienced more than I could have ever anticipated and know that I will carry the lessons I’ve learned, particularly those about myself, with me throughout my entire life. Thank you for following me on this journey, on to the next big adventure!