T Minus 4 Weeks

Four weeks from today, I board a plane for Kenya. February 15, 2011.

My bags are—more or less—already packed. Just a few last essentials to toss in the day I depart.

The seven-week supply of 50 spf sunblock, “Natrapel” mosquito repellant, protein bars, and hand sanitizer, among other luxury toiletry items are what is taking up a good percentage of what will serve as my checked bag. I hope to use up or give away all of the liquid items by the end of the trip so I don’t need to check any luggage for the flight back.

Today also happens to be the first day of the University of Minnesota’s spring semester.

Because I have completed my formal coursework, and am somewhat on my own from now through the day I present my master’s thesis, the reminder that today is the first day of the spring semester is daunting. I must motivate myself from here on out.

I have been so focused on preparing for my physical needs in Kenya, that I have dropped the ball with my preliminary research efforts. Seven weeks is both a long and short time…it’s a long time to be away from home and friends, but a very slim opportunity to gather ethnographic data. I think the most difficult academic challenge for me on this trip will be to keep my daily interactions with the people I meet in perspective with my end goal and intended thesis.

If you haven’t heard, by the way, the title of my thesis is: “The Kenyan Pokot as a Model for Peace in Religiously Diverse Communities.” I will go into more detail about this thesis project at a later date. For now, I feel I need to work on finishing a book I started about religion in Kenya.