Goodbye Kenya, Goodbye SFS

     Today is my final full day at the SFS (the School for Field Studies) center in Kenya. This morning has been a whirlwind of emotions. Our group had a final meeting with the staff, and the center director, Okello (the most wonderful man I have ever met in my life) ended our discussion with requesting hugs all around. Some of us were crying, some of us were in denial, some of us were ready (and still are) to get home to see their friends and family. I can honestly say that these three and a half months spent in East Africa were some of the most amazing months of my life. I met some of the coolest people that I have ever met, both staff and students, and I will go out of my way to remain in touch with everyone. I have seen some of the most beautiful landscapes, including Mt. Kilimanjaro and its foothills in which the center is located. The wildlife has blown me away. I never thought I could gain so much enjoyment from watching a baby elephant play in the mud, lions cubs napping under a tree, lazy leopards hanging out in  a tree, hippos fighting or a cerval attacking its prey. I never thought I would enjoy the baboons that inhabit (and slightly terrorize) the camp, or the dik-diks that hide in the bushes.
     If I have realized anything from this trip, it's that there is no way I can stay away from East Africa. I'll be back. Whether for grad school or for a family trip, I'll be back. Our SFS group started out as 30 strangers, hoping that there would be at least one other we could connect with. But we're family now, and the fact that we have to leave each other is hard to deal with. I'm so happy that I get to spend about another two weeks with two of my fellow SFSers (Keela and Audrey) as we venture up to the top of Kilimanjaro, but I wish I had more time with everyone. Goodbyes in the airport tomorrow will be one of the hardest things that I've done. However, I will feel better knowing how changed we are by this experience and knowing that all of us will be going home to do great things.
     I will never forget my time spent at SFS. All of the game drives, field lectures, expeditions and directed research fieldwork are some of my best memories from the program. It's not everyday that you get camp in the Serengeti with the hyaenas, buffalo and lions. It's not everyday that you get to go on a game drive in the pouring rain and still enjoy yourself. It's not everyday that you get to carry water or help build a house with a Maasai mama. I could go on and on, boring you with stories you've already read (or heard), but I'll save your eyeballs and your time. I'll just leave you with this, if you ever have the chance to study abroad in East Africa through SFS, or any other field focused study abroad program for that matter, TAKE IT. You will never regret it.

Asanta sana SFS, Kenya and Tanzania. I will never forget this experience.

Staff and students in Tanzania- Moyo Hill Camp

Staff and students in Kenya- KBC