Kenya
Epilogue
The End
Here we are at the conclusion of my story. I was trying to lay a finger on what made me so sad when I had returned to the U.S. from my trip. I was happy enough to get back to "civilization" at that point.
I finally realized that it was because I didn't feel completely changed by my experiences. I was back to familiarity, my same old self, my humdrum routine. I couldn't hang on to that thing from Kenya which would make me see the world in a different light. I grieved that the precious knowledge I had gained didn't burn so brightly that it illuminated other people's lives. It smoldered, and I soon lost it.
Ok, I admit that I am a pessimist, but there's no denying how I felt. Even if I don't feel it in my heart, I can at least rationalize it in my mind—each of us, including me, has been changed by Kenya. Some in big ways. Some in small ways. Kenya was a formidable teacher. I hope to pass along some of these lessons and change what others think of and how they treat the natural world.
Trivia
Favorite Food/Meal in Kenya: Maize and beans with chapati.
Least Favorite Food/Meal in Kenya: Thomson's gazelle; Masai goat liver.
Notes About Photography
I used to have some blurb here about how terrible my Kenya pictures were. No more excuses! I've put some effort into renovating my old images by scanning their negatives and then cropping, tweaking, and retouching them. For the most part, the pictures are now dramatically better. I have tried hard to edit the images so that they are aesthetically pleasing, yet preserve the original spirit with which they were taken.
My pictures from Kenya were taken with a simple point-and-shoot camera with a whiz-bang zoom lens. I do wish that I had known more about photography before I went to Kenya. Namely, I wish that I had at least known how to meter off of something mid-toned and that I had more carefully chosen my film. I really wish I had taken more people pictures.