Our Burundi coffee reminds me of lilacs and saddles. Clearly, that’s not an educated flavor or taste profile. I’ve spent the last 16 years of my life in Africa, but these reminders are a nod to my Midwest American roots. I grew up craving everything that had to do with horses. My parents couldn’t afford …
Our exit from Burundi was like molasses falling steady from a spoon, sticky and slow. Lifting ourselves from the land was a process full of attempts to stay. After several years of struggling to call Burundi “home,” now I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving the place that had taught me so many of my …
Shopping in real grocery stores and speaking English rank at the top of my “reasons to love Kenya” list, but after a recent trip to Nairobi that list now includes all the fun things available for families to do in Nairobi (without even hiking out to the Maasai Mara). In just two days we were able …
I struggle with the idea of comparing lifestyles, because that’s not really what life is all about. That said, I do often feel like the expat lifestyle is easily misunderstood. Most expats have chosen the country they reside in, some landed there by chance, and others were forced through crisis to find a new home. …
I don’t know what it is about Christmas. I put my game face on. I tell myself its “just like the last 10 years you’ve celebrated Christmas away from your family” and yet, I feel the ache of another Christmas away from the people who taught me the truth about Christmas. It’s a slippery slope …
We don’t often find ourselves on sailboats out on Lake Tanganyika, but one sunny weekend day (months ago) we did. Back then the washing station wasn’t even fully built. It feels like… a lifetime ago. If you can ignore the threat of hippos and crocs, the Burundi shores of Lake Tanganyika are a great place to …
