Well, things have calm down here in Kenya, but the negotiations between Kibaki and Raila seem to be at an impass and there are talks of more rallies next week so we'll just have to wait and see what happens.  I'm hoping that things continue to move forward peacefully.  I returned to work at Shukrani LifeWorks last week, which is a good sign that things are returning to normal, but one of our employees was stuck near kisumu and couldn't get back to the coast until late last week.  Many of the volunteers in the western part of the country are still waiting to see whether or not they can return to their sites or if they will be able to get alternative placements in other parts of the country.  I can't even imagine what it was like over there.  It was rather frightening where I'm at and things were relatively calm compared to Western. 

Best wishes and hopes for Peace!

Heather

Well, this is it I guess. Tomorrow I leave for Philly for two days and then we head off to Kenya : )  I'll be there on the 20th...

Shoes,  check...Skirts, check...Multi-tool, check...Nalgene bottles, check...camera, check...journal, check...solar charger, check...

Nervous...Check!

Scared...Check!

Excited...Well, a little, but right now I'm too nervous to be excited yet.  However I know I will be once I'm there and all the worry about whether or not I've packed the right stuff for life in another country for two years is something of the past ; )

Ok, I've got to keep it short. I have to be at the airport early in the morning and I need to get some sleep so I can function.

Don't forget to write.  I promise I'll write you back if you do :)

Lots of love,

Heather

Great Quotes...
"If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it" - Albert Einstein

"People can not discover new lands until they have the courage to lose sight of the shore" - Andre Gide

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Gandhi

"I don't think that work ever really destroyed anybody. I think that lack of work destroys them a hell of a lot more." - Katherine Hepburn

"If you're going through hell, keep going." - Winston Churchill

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela

"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." Native American Proverb

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." Charles Darwin

"When planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When planning for life, train and educate people." Chinese proverb: Guanzi (c. 645BC)

"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can." George Bernard Shaw

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." Leo Tolstoy

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." William Butler Yeats

"If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace" John Lennon

"You never change something by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." Buckminster Fuller

"Your current safe boundaries were once unknown frontiers." Unknown

To get in touch with me in Kenya during training (first 3 months, mid-sept. to mid-dec.), you can write me at the following address:

Heather Domenico/PCT
PO Box 30518
Nairobi, Kenya

Airmail from the US to major cities in Kenya typically takes about two weeks. Depending on how remote my post is after training the mail can take a bit longer :)

Please try to number your letters so I know if one of them gets lost and also included "Airmail" and "Par Avion" on the envelop. You can just write it on the envelop or get stickers from the post office.

Also remember that it will take more than just one stamp to get all the way to Africa, so check at the post office or online to see how many stamps you'll need (according to the UPSP web site, a standard (1 oz.) letter costs about $0.90 to reach Kenya).

Remember, it doesn't have to be an epic (although those are always very welcome), just a quick note to say hello is great too! I look forward to hearing from you while I'm away!

Well, as many of you may already know, I finally received my invitation for the Peace Corps. They've change my country of service and my program, but I'm still excited about the adventure ahead of me. I'll be leaving for Kenya in mid-September for 27 months and I'll be working with small businesses and/or doing basic technical training if the resources are available (i.e. if they have computers).

I'm looking forward to learning about a culture by getting up each day and partaking in everyday activities, such as buying groceries, taking the bus, and washing my clothes. One cannot fully understand these cultural differences it until you live it. However, like a child learning to walk, living within a new culture comes with its share of bumps and bruises. Although when approached with openness and respect, I have learned that each step can be a very rewarding experience. I know that my experience will be both challenging and rewarding and I hope that many of you will write me and stay in touch so that I can share this journey with all of you.

I'll be heading back to Chicago to visit with family and friends back home at the end of August. In the meantime, I'll be finishing up my time at work and packing up my stuff and seeing as many friends here before I leave. It's both a somber time and a joyful time. Sad because I'm leaving behind a beautiful city filled with amazing friends and exciting because I feel that I've been called to do this for some time now and I've finally been blessed to have this opportunity to share my talents and good fortune with others less fortunate than myself.

Kwaheri,
Heather

P.S. If anyone is interested, I plan on hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro sometime during my stay and would love to share the experience with any of my friends who are interested. So think about it and let me know if you're interested and I'll keep you posted on my plans.

My Life List

Born into Brothels is a documentary film that follows the lives of several children living in the Red Light district of Calcutta India.  While living in this area of Calcutta, photographer Zana Briski, takes this group of children under her wing and begins to teach them the art of photography.  Through her love and compassion these children learn to explore their talents as photographers, documenting their lives and the lives of their families and friends. And despite the background of their challenging lives, these children find hope and beauty through this new medium to express themselves. 

A foundation has been set up to help these children and others like them around the world by selling their photography to pay for their education.  This program is called, Kids-with-Cameras. (www.kids-with-cameras.org).

To see the trailer for this film, click here.

So get out there and share your talents with others. You'll not only teach them something new, you'll give them something even more important. Hope.

Namaste -

Heather  

My family friend, Owen Lowery, has done what most of us only dream about.  He's made a list of 52 things he's always wanted to do and unlike most of us...he's doing them. Spitting Fire, getting shot by a tazer, eating brains, being stung by a scorpion....starting and finishing a film.  Owen, I wish you the best in completing your list...I hope that your original list inspires others to overcome their fears and start living. As you so aptly put...What are you waiting for?

Check out the web site for Owen's movie...An alternative to slitting your wrists. you can also see more clips from his movie on You Tube, by clicking here.

Ever think, gee...there's no way I could ever do a marathon or triathlon!  That's just crazy!  We'll read this article about a father and son team that have done 85 Marathons (26.2 miles) and 216 Triathlons, 6 Ironman distances (2.4 miles swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run) together : )

After completing my second half marathon with my youngest brother Jared (it was his first half marathon), a friend of mine sent me this article and short video about this amazing father and son duo.  When my alarm goes off in the morning and I think that I don't have the energy to get out of bed and go workout, I try to remember this father and his strength and love.  When I'm running and don't think that I can run another mile, I think back to the Marathon I ran with my father in 2000 and the Sprint Triathlon did with my mother, my aunt and my cousin in Seattle in 2006.   I've been very blessed to share these amazing accomplishments with my family members and close friends.  I can't describe how awesome it is to cross the finish line holding their hand or watching their joy and relief as they realize they've made it through the finish…

If you could use a little inspiration to get out of bed or workout after work, read this amazing article and watch the short video! You should be off and running in no time!  Enjoy!

I heard this story on NPR a number of years ago while I was driving home.  Along the way I stopped at the grocery store and sat in the parking lot listening to the end of this program, laughing one minute and crying the next.  This is a story recorded by two young boys, LeAlan Jones and Lloyd Newman about growing up in the Ida B. Wells projects on Chicago's south side.  I was amazed by the talent of these two boys growing up in such a challenging environment.  Listen to their interview with LeAlan's grandmother, what a strong, graceful woman!

Click here to listen to "Ghetto Life 101" (run time 30:15), a moving story of humanity!

Click here to listen to the second part of this story, "Remorse" (run time 39:17).