Walking Alone

This morning was my first day walking alone in Nairobi. Last night my host mom suggested I take a day off a work to finish up some school related things, so that I could “breath easy” the rest of the trip. So when I woke up this morning with Noxy, I was prepared to eat breakfast with her, and once she went to work I would start in on my work. After breakfast, Noxy asked Mary (our housekeeper) if she could walk with Noxy to work. Mary seemed very busy and didn’t seem that keen on the idea, so I offered to walk with Noxy to work and then walk home. Noxy said she’d like that, and when we got to the street work was on, I just said “goodbye” and headed back home.
It is funny how the smallest acts of independence can feel so… exciting. As I was walking the 15 minutes alone, I felt so strong. I didn’t know why, and I told myself I was being silly, but no matter what I said to myself, I couldn’t help the exhilaration from bubbling up inside of me! Of course, I got many interesting looks and even some giggles, at the sight of a young, white girl walking down the street, by herself, with a particularly peppy bounce to her step.
Though walking down the street alone seems like an everyday thing for most people, here in Nairobi, it was a big step for me. It made me realize how different the life I’m living here is from the life in Amherst. And sometimes, the little things help us to realize these tremendous differences.