Camping in Kenya
It’s almost midnight in Kenya, and I’m camping at a place called Sanctuary Farm not too far from Nairobi. It’s a small campground with friendly rangers. We arrived late in the afternoon and leaving some of our things, went to find a restaurant for dinner. When we got back, the rangers had built us a fire for our campsite and lit another fire under a water heater so the water pumped into the bathrooms came out out pretty much scalding. Camping doesn’t always come with the luxury of hot water, and I can’t wait to take a hot shower in the morning.
We spent the evening talking around the campfire, and I kept moving from one tree stump to another as the smoke chased me lazily. We drank red wine out of plastic cups and roasted enormous, stale marshmallows. We talked about friendship and community, and it was funny to realize it’s much the same in Nairobi as San Diego. Groups come and and go, there are seasons of social richness, then loneliness as people move and change. But for now, four of us could sit and feel like we had at least some version of it in that moment. We may not all have been best friends or have known each other that long, but here we were, enjoying this corner of the world together.
Finally, I forced myself up to brush my teeth, put on my pajamas, and crawl inside my cozy tent. Outside, the fire is still glowing and the smoke is drifting towards me slowly. I can hear the horses in their stables now and then, still awake. Maybe like me, they’re kept up by the church service going strong across the street outside the campground. It’s called Heaven’s Gate, and they’re having a wild Friday night service. I’ll put in some ear plugs soon but for now I just lay there and smile at how funny life is, how there are never any shortages of new experiences and adventures. All you have to do is be aware of them, and put yourself in a new situation now and then.
In all reality, I’d be more comfortable in my own bed, having spent the evening with my own friends, but there’s something magical about deciding to go just beyond the comfort zone, whatever that may be. The reward looks like new friends, wine around a campfire, and smiling before you drift off to sleep, knowing the morning will bring more adventures.
