Pre trip departure and introduction.
"Yet from an early age, I was unsatisfied with my
ordinary life. I just knew there
had to be something more exciting and significant than this transparent
world. I could never find my niche
or any comfortable sense or self.
Looking around, all I saw were people doing only just enough to get
through their lives. Household
conversations focused on whether to buy Frosted Flakes or wheatis, who won on
Monday night football, upcoming sales at clothing stores. My friends occupied their time either
working toward promising futures-college, careers, marriage-or immersed in the
escapism of fashion, rumors and Hollywood. But whasnt there more to life than this? Why did this
simple, day-to-day life seem to satisfy most people, but not me? I couldn’t explain what I wanted
instead or what kind of person I really wanted to become. I just knew it wasn't what I already
had."(My Massai Life, page three).
My name is Alec Cameron Edelson, I am a triplet with two sisters and one older brother. I am an eighteen year old student at The Lewis School of Princeton and currently finishing my senior year. My life to this date has been far from the norm I have been to three different high schools in my five years. I went to public school, an all guys boarding school, and The Lewis School of Princeton. I have four varsity letters to this date and was on student council at both Ridge high school and South Kent prep in Kent Connecticut. I am writing this blog to describe a journey that truly opened my eyes from my comfortable sheltered life in Basking Ridge New Jersey. When I began my junior year I felt as my life was to similar to every one around me. I wanted to strive away from the norm of most high school students in the world. I wanted to create a new path for my self, to let my walls down and experience something that many have not ever and will never experience. That is when I asked a friend of mine Katie Meyler, founder of more than me foundation, if she had any suggestions for a summer trip I could partake on. She suggested that I look in to Me to We, a non profit organization located in Canada that sends groups of students to Ecuador, Ghana, India, Kenya, and Nicaragua. After researching all of these locations I decided that this summer I was going to travel to Kenya for a month. I was going to put everything I had planned on hold, no hanging with friends, going to the beach, working out, and all of the other fun relaxing things the summer provides. Instead I was going to travel to a third world country and experience the life that they lived every day. I asked my parents if I could go at first they asked "why would you ever want to travel all the way to Kenya for an entire month!?". With expert skills of convincing they finally agreed to allow me to go. I then told all of my friends with an overabundance of excitement I am going to Kenya!!!!!!!!!. They responded with three words "are you crazy!!?", They would not change my mind though. I began the application process and was accepted as one of twenty six(twenty four Canadian citizens and me and one other from America) to Me to We Kenya trip I. I went and got the appropriate vaccinations and began to count down the days till I departed. I went to REI a hiking store and purchased my first hiking pack, biodegradable shampoo and conditioner, travel shower towels, and lastly biodegradable bodywash(I did not realize I would only be showering once every seven to eight days!!!!!!). The days went by extremely fast I packed my one hiking bag and backpack, put all of my flight information in a folder, made sure I had my passport and drivers license in my travel pack. It was time a lot of questions were running through my mind, Why are you going to Kenya? what am I trying to accomplish with this trip? are you sure you really want to do this? are you going to get along with the Canadians? what happens if I get malaria? Will I like the food? and many other questions. It was now the morning of my travel, my head was shaved and the day had finally come, the one I had been waiting for all spring!!!!!!! My mom still couldn't understand why I was going to Kenya, but I was the only one who could really understand why I was going on this trip. As she ran through a thousand questions on the way to the airport at 5 a.m and all of the worries she had they just blew right past me...I WAS GOING TO KENYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was time to leave all of my friends, family, technology(no phones allowed), and everything I lived with for the past eighteen years behind me. It was just me, myself, and I nothing else. Ready to explore, let my walls down, and immerse my self in a community that was willing to accept me a stranger into their life.
http://www.metowe.com/volunteer-travel/youth-trips/kenya/(The organization I traveled with)
http://morethanme.org/(Katie Meylers foundation)
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2962.htm(link for basic information of Kenya)
