Reflections on a Layover

It's such a good feel into know that I am finally going on an international volunteer trip. This is such meshing I've been wanting to do seriously for about 10 years now. 

I first learned about international volunteerism from my mother. She was in the peace corps in the 1970s and tells amazing stories about her experience. I've always been fascinated by courage and spirit of adventure. When she went, there were no cell phones it Internet. She really did jet off on an adventure by herself. She made lasting friendships and I believe that experience really shaped her into the person she is today. 

In high school I continued to play with the idea of volunteering abroad and in college I studied abroad twice - once in Kenya once in London. Studying abroad really solidified my desire to volunteer, but the thought of leaving home for 2 years was scary and my teaching career was just beginning. So I put the idea on the back burner. About a year ago, I decided I was finally ready to take the plunge, I was all set to leave for a year of volunteering as a teacher and then I found this opportunity. Six weeks - perfect. 

Over the years, the discussions about international volunteerism I have has with many people, my family included, are honest. We talk about both the pros and cons and how to be a responsible volunteer. We talk about the politics of being an American abroad. These discussions helped me work through some of my reservations about volunteering abroad when there are so many ways I could help closer to home. But all in all, my whole family has encouraged a supported my desire to travel and volunteer abroad. My friends are behind me. Most importantly, I'm finally ready! 

Joy

I’m volunteering to share with others.

Source

Part 2 of a 3 part series on why I'm volunteering abroad.

I’m pretty sure I’m going to do most of learning on this volunteering adventure of mine. I also know I have something to offer. I am a professional health educator who teaches kids about sensitive topics on a regular basis. I have improved my communication skills with adults from different backgrounds through volunteering as a teacher for adult refugees learning English as a second language. I am excited to be able to share my limited, but valuable, knowledge and experience.

If I had to pick one word to describe myself or one word to live by, I would pick JOY. In everything I do, I try to find and experience joy. 

I am really excited to share my joy and of course, my enthusiasm for self-improvement and life-long learning – one of the reasons I became an educator in the first place!

Support my adventure at http://www.youcaring.com/other/help-janet-volunteer-in-kenya/288895

Looking Forward to Learning

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Part 1 of a 3 part series on why I'm volunteering abroad.

I'm pretty sure in every cover letter, scholarship essay, or application for something, I have included the phrase "lifelong learner." It's  buzz word and somewhat cliche. But, in my case it's totally true! There is nothing more exciting to me than learning something new - a new term, another culture, a new perspective, a fun fact, a tidbit about history, or a better way of doing things.

Learning is what excites me most about this volunteering adventure I am about to embark on. I hope to learn a lot - and hopefully be able to put it into practice in my life and work some how.

Some things I hope to learn...

1. More about my cultural roots. My father is Kenyan and he and my extended family have taught me so much about where I come from. But, there is so much more to learn and so many more lenses to look through.
2. More about careers in global health, international development, and education. I'm working on a Masters' degree in Public Health. Soon I will have to choose a focus. Hopefully this experience will help me learn what path to go down in my studies. 
3. Other approaches to public health. One thing I  know from teaching, is you can't force change and you can't project your thoughts and beliefs on others. Other cultures have different ways of doing things and the community engages in different ways. I am looking forward to seeing what works in Kenya. 
4. Swahili. I know I can't become fluent in a language in 5-6 weeks. But, it would be nice to round out the few phrases I know into full sentences! 
5. Anything and everything. Sometimes the best lessons are the ones you don't realize you are learning until you get back and have sometime to reflect. 

Support my adventure at http://www.youcaring.com/other/help-janet-volunteer-in-kenya/288895

Kenyan Theme Dinner

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In an effort to raise funds for my volunteer adventure, I am hosting a Kenyan Theme Dinner (and asking for donations). My wonderful aunt, Njambi, is coming into town from Chicago to help me prepare authentic Kenyan food. Even though I grew up eating Kenyan food, I have never actually tried my own hand at cooking it so I am extra grateful for my aunt's help!

Here's a link to a food/travel blog that lists many of the staple food items in Kenya! I'd say it's a pretty accurate list. I've experienced most of these at some point in my life and I will be preparing some of dishes seen most often in my family. If you come to my open house, you can expect to experience:

• Ugali
• Chapati (my personal favorite)
• Sukuma wiki
• Irio
• Chicken Stew
• Chai (my aunt makes the best Kenya tea, you're in for a real treat!)

 If you can't make it to my dinner, feel free to donate on my fundraising page!

Volunteering Abroad

Welcome back! As I get ready to adventure volunteering in Kenya this summer, I decided that it is time to resurrect the blog - the mostly travel blog that I started when I studied abroad in London back in 2010. I will do my best to blog about my preparations and of course my time in Kenya. Stay tuned! 

In the mean time, feel free to stop by my fundraising page or if you are local to Indianapolis, come to my "Kenyan Theme Dinner" open house on Sunday, April 26. 

Pinned this...made that! Raspberry-Chocolate Banna Bread

Who doesn't like a little decadence. I made raspberry-chocolate banana bread for my parents while they were visiting over the 4th of July. I had quite a time trying to find non-moldy raspberries at the grocery store. So alas, only one of my mini loaves had chocolate chips and raspberries.

Pinned this (these)...

Source: 8weekstoabetteryourecipes.blogspot.com via Janet on Pinterest

Source: recipeboy.com via Janet on Pinterest

made that!

Nathan's creative styling - including an iced mocha!

Here's my version of these two recipes combined.

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar free applesauce

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)


1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chunks or chips
1 cup halved raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl

3. Mix wet ingredients, minus the banana into a larger bowl

4. Mash banana

5. Combine dry ingredients slowly into the wet

6. Add banana, mix until combined - a few lumps is fine

7. Add chocolate and raspberries, mix lightly

8. Pour into pans

9. Bake 35-40 minutes (I made 4 small loaves)

The raspberry chocolate and the plain chocolate versions were pretty good. The plain version was tasty but, I like my mom's better!

Pinned this...made that! Iced Mocha

I don't actually like coffee. I hate wasting food - even food I don't like, apparently. So after Nathan forgot his morning coffee (how he did that I don't know), and after spending $5ish dollars on a Starbucks Iced Mocha for Nathan in the afternoon (because I'm a good girlfriend), I decided to try making him an Iced Mocha. I searched until I found recipes that only used ingredients that I already had in the house, or could be adapted to only use those ingredients. So I

Pinned this (these)...

Source: copykat.com via Janet on Pinterest

Source: yummly.com via Janet on Pinterest

 and

made that!

I used the hot coco recipe to make the chocolatey part and then added an equal part of coffee to the mix as the cocoa recipe called for milk...does that make sense?

Nathan said it needed more coffee so the next time instead of 3.5 cups milk and 3.5 cups of coffee I used 3.5 cups of milk and 4 cups of coffee. After letting the coffee simmer in with the cocoa for a few minutes (2ish minutes with a little stirring) I let it sit and cool and then transferred it to a pitcher in the fridge. He whisks it again in the morning and pours it over ice in his travel mug. He didn't make any comment about it the second time around, so I figured it tasted good to him.