Jambo!

Hi, friends! I am currently in Kenya for a work trip, enjoying the fast internet and good coffee of Nairobi. The purpose of the trip is to visit/monitor our HIV program sites in the western part of the country, and to prepare for a cervical cancer assessment taking place next month. The trip is two and a half weeks, with one week spent traveling around Nyanza Province and the rest of the time in Nairobi.

The visit was planned at the last minute, as they always are at my work, and it was not the best of timing.... While I'm gone, David has moved all of our things out of our basement apartment and into our new condo. Oh, yeah! We bought a condo! It is in the Brookland neighborhood of DC, and we are feeling very blessed.

Though I'm sad to be away from my family, I'm having a nice time practicing the Swahili I learned from a foray into Rosetta Stone Swahili combined with extensive watching of The Lion King as a child. Or should I say, The Simba King? Impressed, no?

Hakuna matata, rafiki!

Letting go of fall

As expected, fall was far too short and winter is here far too soon. This fall was perfect for a birthday picnic at the National Arboretum, the mixing of new friends and old, trying out the "best new sandwich in America" (doubt it), walks involving the carrying of large sticks, and learning to feel at home here in DC. Now, to winter and a brand new year. And learning to appreciate the cold (impossible).

Summer in DC

On a hot day toward the end of summer, we took a long, leisurely walk around the mall and the monuments. The tourists are in full force during the summer and into early fall, and I'm enjoying the slower pace now that the cold is imminent. But this day, they were everywhere. Tour buses lining the streets and a variety of languages floating past. People taking pictures of squirrels (who knew they were so exotic?). And I get to walk to the mall from my house. Lucky.

Busy busy busy

David and I have been busy little bees, traveling up and down California visiting friends and family. I am feeling loved and grateful... and exhausted. I am also having a serious case of computer-aversion and just can't bring myself to write and upload pictures (AKA blog). Soon! I promise!

Here is some news in the meantime: we are moving to DC! I got a job with International Medical Corps and we are moving out there in a couple of weeks, just in time for the winter wonderland. Woop!

Thanks for being my friends. I love you all.

Old friends

(Kyle- Sorry I have no pics to prove you were here too!)

Meg and Kyle (and Baby!) visited during my spring break, and we had an amazing few days of exploring DC, wandering throughout Baltimore, talking and talking and talking, and playing an addicting dice game called Farkle. We love these people.

I got to feel the baby move in her tummy and tell him that I love him. Has it really been 15 years since Meg and I were 5th graders? Since the days when we played 6 square during recess and had slumber parties on a trampoline? Since we talked about what it would be like to be married and have kids in the distant, distant future?

Go Wizards!

School is trying really hard to take the fun out of my life, but I'm not letting it. As a belated b-day gift for David, we took the train over to DC for a Wizards-Celtics game. Over the course of the evening the two of us put away nachos, a soft pretzel, a chicken sandwich, a hot dog and two large sodas. Pretty impressive. The best part might have been the halftime show. Watch it, then tell me how it's done. Please.

(A map to the Verizon Center drawn on my hand.)

All in a day

Went to DC for the day. Not to rub it in, but we can do that now that we live so close. Just hop over to our nation's capital like it's no big deal. When you live in California you really never leave California (no need). But here, you can travel to the moon and the African plains and deep in the ocean and back to prehistoric times all in just a day. Pretty neat.