Dorothy, in the Wizard of Oz said, "People come and go so quickly here."
It's the same for Kenya. The turnover rate for foreigners living here is high. Usually long-term folks stay for 6 months to 3 years.
Johnny and I have been living here for 8 full years this January, and our list of close friends on this side of the planet is pretty much blank.
We love Kenya, but making friends is tough since ones who can relate to us on a level we are familiar with usually end up leaving after a while.
This week, a beautiful family fresh from the UK, has found us through our blog. I (Kate) am so excited to be making new friends. Johnny, who is usually not very social, seems to like them a lot as well. It's nice to have folks around our age to hang out with, share stories with, and socialize with. They have an adorable 17 month old toddler named Lucas who LOVES playing with Éowyn. We spent the evening together watching them giggle and play.
So back to the parents of Lucas: Andrew and Madeline, these guys are doing an amazing thing here in Kenya. Andrew is an ophthalmologist, and is doing research using new technology through cell phones that can tell someone's vision issues. He has a team of Kenyan folks who will help him map out blind people and see where and why so many folks are going blind, and get help to them. Many of whom just need cataract surgery or even a good pair of glasses. His wife, Madeline, is a high energy person like myself! I just adore her. She's passionate about children's health and is an awesome baker! She took a career break from Pediatrics to come to Kenya and help with this eye project.
Currently, she's helping me get back into shape as well, and has invited me to be her (sluggish) running partner. I'm happy to have this new friend.
Their blog is here: http://toddleradventure.wordpress.com
Anyway, the sad thing is that they are only here a year or year and a half. That's our life, I guess. People pop in, steal our hearts, and pop out again. I think it would be nice if they decided to stay a bit longer... but no matter what happens, I'm going to make a new friend.
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