Girls Hitting the Trails

When we returned to Nairobi, it was back to the routines. A full month of activities was already waiting for us. After heading back to the office that first Monday in somewhat of a jet lagged stupor, we very soon began to launch into the events of the new year.

* * *

Cross Country

At the end of our first week back, we had a cross-country running event for both girls. It was a particular challenge for Kiran in that she would need to wake up at 5am the following morning for an all-day hike with her hiking club. I don’t know how ready they were, but they participated anyway.

Kinaya nervously making her way to the start

As I mentioned previously, the French are sometimes not good at organizing things. This event was yet another example. Some of the lapse has to do with logistics, but a lot of it is just poor communication. Parents were confused in the days leading up to the event regarding timing of the races. I suppose in the end it didn’t matter since they were unable to bus the kids to the event on time. Signage was terrible. Parents were wandering around the forested area with no idea which way to go. I often wonder the degree to which technology is dumbing us down, erasing centuries’ old instincts of navigation and non-technology communication. We no longer have the ability to navigate without a phone nor can we explain to people how to find things without the crutch of technology.

Kinaya on the left, recovered from her post-run ills

Anyway, the event itself went okay. The course took the kids on a windy trail through the forest. I love trail running and this place was quite nice given its proximity to urban sprawl. Both girls felt they could have done better, and they were exhausted when it was over. Kinaya ended up in an ambulance after her race, though it sounds more dramatic than it really was. She developed a migraine (as she frequently does) and she just needed a place to lie down. One of the guys wiped out later on and she would need to cede her gurney to him. Thankfully, she was feeling better by then.

Kiran finishing lap one

For French school events, you need to plan accordingly. The last race began over an hour after it was supposed to and we didn’t get home until about two hours after the time we should have. But, as I said, it ended up being a lot of fun for the kids and time for parents to hang out.

The Short Hike

As I mentioned, the next day Kiran had to get up early to go on a hike in the Aberdare Range in central Kenya. The trek would take all day (including an hour and a half of driving each way) and was a preparatory hike for a week-long hiking trip the club would do a week later. 

Kiran in the light blue, making her way along the ridge

I give the school a hard time about their lack of organization ability, but this is one of those things they do well, or at least the teacher who is running this does very well.

Reaching the summit at 12,000 ft. (3,658 m.). Kiran on the right.

I was a sports (and English) teacher for eight years in Switzerland and I organized dozens of school trips. Some of them were more complex than others. I took kids on excursions around Switzerland as well as to other countries, including taking a group to Canada for a basketball tournament in mid-winter. We did weekly ski trips in the winter as well as hiking trips in the autumn and spring. I worked at a summer camp for a couple of years which included many more hiking trips with kids. Afterwards, when I was at grad school, I was a bicycle tour guide in southern France and northern Italy.

Taking kids on a hike in the Swiss Alps in the early 90's

All that to say, I know what it’s like and it’s not easy – especially when you’re working with kids from an international school located in a country that is not your own. All indication is that this teacher at the French school knows what he’s doing. He’s well organized. He seems to know how to motivate the kids. Though he had a couple of lapses in communication, I thought he did that well too. He took lots of great photos and even produced/shared a cool video of the trip which arrived on WhatsApp even before they even arrived home.

Posing with colleagues and students in Champery, Switzerland, after a hike in the early 90's

You have to be a bit fearless to do this sort of thing. You have a group of kids that are in your care and the range of things that could go wrong is immense. It makes my stomach tighten up thinking about it. As much as I like hiking, I wouldn’t want that job anymore.

* * *

The Monster Hike

The big hike came a week later. Kiran’s hiking club would depart on a 5-day, 4-night trek again in the Aberdare Mountains of central Kenya. They would have porters to carry the overnight gear/food and the kids would carry day-packs. It would be the longest that she would be away from home, without her parents. In addition to being away from home, it would not for the faint of heart, for many reasons.

Off to a good start

The trek would be rather arduous. Though most days were of reasonable length, on one day they hiked for nearly 19 miles. That’s a long day for anyone, especially for kids that aren’t in great physical condition.

Kiran holding a chameleon

They would also reach an altitude of around 13,700 ft. (3,870 m.), which is the highest she has ever been – exceeding the highest point in Idaho. Thankfully, we live at about 5,900 ft. (1,800 m., the same altitude as the base of a ski mountain near our house in Idaho), an altitude that provides Kiran a decent base lung capacity and makes a small contribution to acclimatization to higher altitudes. It’s much more advantageous than when we lived at sea level.

I have to say, I was quite jealous

Another challenge would be that she was one of the youngest to take part in the hike. Most of the kids were the equivalent of high school age. For a girl who is a bit introverted, it can be a challenge to spend all day and evening surrounded by a couple dozen other kids.

So cool

We would receive occasional communications and photos from the teacher when he had phone connection (which was encouraging for anxious parents), but there were long stretches, particularly towards the end, when there was radio silence. We just didn’t want it to be a disaster for her so that she would be encouraged to do more of this sort of thing. Either way, we figured, it would be a growing experience.

Diverse landscape

In the end, she did well. She was able to keep up with the other kids, both physically and socially. She returned on Friday evening exhausted and smelly. But she was pleased with how it went – a big relief for all of us.

Mission accomplished

* * *

Kinaya’s Hike

Troublemakers

Not to be left out, Kinaya would have a hike of her own the following week. It was the same teacher that organized all three of these. Hats off to him.  I was thinking that if I were to step off from my job at some point, and the kids are still in school, I would be tempted to volunteer to support some of these hikes. I know I said I wouldn’t want that job anymore. But if I was not the organizer, and was just there to support the hike itself, I could see myself doing that. Not now, though.

Kinaya’s hike, though not massive in length, was massive in numbers. There were two full bus loads and had a broad mix of ages. It would be less than six miles with nothing technical for the hikers to navigate, which is a very good thing when you have such a large group. It did have a waterfall which is always nice on a hike, even if you don’t brave the cold water and jump in. Kinaya, my pride and joy, did (as I would have done).

Snaking through the tea plantations

Braving the cold water

She also returned tired and smelly. Though I would say, she’s quite fit and my only concern for her was the potential for a migraine (as I mentioned above when discussing the cross-country event). Kids don’t always think about drinking water and taking in electrolytes, and in her case, it can be more problematic than for other kids. In the end, she had no issues and was beaming with joy as she entered the apartment, anxious to recount the exploits of the day. 

Idaho

The trip to Idaho would be more limited than normal due to the short duration. With less than seven days, we had to make some hard choices as who how we would spend our time. In the end, we would only be able to split time between Boise and the Magic Valley to hang out with my parents.

Kimberly

We headed to Kimberly on Sunday, arriving just in time to attend a church service where my mother plays the piano. It’s a sleepy church, though not quite as sleepy as my mother-in-law’s Presbyterian church in Indiana. The US is loaded with churches that are slowly dying or already have died. You also have a growth in mega churches. Usually when we are in Indiana, we attend the Presbyterian church service and then zip over to the cousins’ mega church about a half hour away. There’s just enough time to make it given the timing of the services. It’s quite the contrast. A quiet liturgical service with less than a dozen people in a traditional church building followed by a couple thousand-person congregation with a rather loud worship band in a massive theater.

familiar view of my mom at the piano

The former is slowly disappearing as society changes. Good riddance say some. I find it a bit sad, really. I’m a combination of my age and personality but I feel that there’s something comforting about a more traditional church. Mega churches stress me out. I see the appeal though. With economies of scale, massive institutions like that can have a major impact on supporting their local communities (if they choose to do so). They also have the resources to meet the needs of a broader spectrum of the population. They have bands and multimedia productions. Elaborate childcare facilities. Loads of activities. But it’s easier for someone to get lost in the shuffle.

We try to attend church with my mom when we're in the US, usually about every 6-12 months. Each time it seems that at least one member of the congregation has passed away in the interim. There aren’t too many young faces and the attrition puts the future of the church in question. But it was nice to reconnect with those that I know. I've known some of these people since I was a kid and they’ve been very supportive of my mom. Her piano playing days won’t last forever, but for now I think it’s as important to her as it is for them.

* * *

Pomerelle

The next morning, we were out of bed fairly early to head to the mountains to do some skiing. I was a bit torn about the idea of skiing given the short time that we would be there. It seemed a bit self-indulgent. But my parents know me well and they just assumed that's what we were going to do. I was going to try to compromise by leaving super early and trying to get back by early afternoon. As it was, we were delayed getting on the mountain due to their new registration and payment system. We eventually figured it out, but we lost a lot of time and it pushed our ski day into the late afternoon.

the same slopes where I learned to ski

Pomerelle is place where I used to ski when I was young and I hadn’t skied there since then. According to their website, it’s one of the oldest ski areas in the western US, beginning its operations in 1940. On the edge of the Magic Valley, the location of the mountain is such that it punches above its weight class when it comes to snow. It’s elevation, at 8,762 feet (2,671 m), is not incredibly high but it attracts more snow than the other Idaho ski areas.

the beauty is half the fun of skiing

With a vertical drop of only 1,002 feet (305 m), it can be a bit tedious for good skiers. You end up spending a lot of time on the lift. Thankfully, the larger lift has been upgraded since I was a kid and is considerably faster.

But for people that are learning to ski, I have never been to a better mountain. Milk run, which has kept its name since back in the day, was exactly as I remember it: wide with a gradual slope. It would be where we spent most of the day as I worked with the girls on their turns. I was curious as to how they were going to do given that they hadn’t been on skis in two years and have only been on the slopes a few times over course of their young lives. I wanted them to enjoy it even though, like many things, it becomes more enjoyable to the better you are. For better or worse, skiing is something that is important to me. It’s not necessary for it to be important for my wife and children, obviously, but it’s more fun if I can share the activity with the family.

post-ski appetizer with my mom

In the end, they all did very well. And they had tons of fun. In fact they were eager to return the next morning as well. As it worked out, we didn’t. Kinaya had a migraine during the night (something that often happens after she does a lot of exercise) and I also wanted to maximize my time with my parents. But I was so glad they enjoyed it and are keen to go again next chance they get. 

brainwashing children to root for your alma mater

* * *

Boise

Normally when we are in Idaho, we head north at some point to spend time with family up there have fun in the mountains. Given that we had less than seven days, it just wasn’t feasible. We would thus split our time between Kimberly and Boise.

I last lived in Boise about 37 years ago. The city now has little in common with the city that I lived in then. Some of the growth has been good. Some of it hasn’t. Fertile farmland has been swallowed up by strip malls and houses that all look basically the same. The growth seems to be coming faster than city planners can deal with. Depending on where you’re going, you can be faced with an endless string of annoying stoplights to get from A to B. There is a shortage of limited-access roads, parkways, etc., particularly on the western side of the city where the former country road grid isn’t capable of absorbing urban traffic. Newer areas also seem to be devoid of green spaces. Sadly, capitalism lends itself less to public good and more to private interest.

* * *

After spending a few days with my parents, we were off to the capital. There were rumors of storms brewing in various parts of the western US. To be honest, I hadn’t been tracking the weather since we arrived in the US. I’m not sure why. I often do in so far as it affects driving, running, skiing, etc. This time, the most I would do is check the temperature before I walked out the door. Clearly humans absorb more information than they need in some ways, not enough in others.

We had snow over the full hour and forty-five minute-drive. Even though Boise is lower in altitude, snow was beginning to accumulate. As we emerged from the car, it seemed magical with large flakes falling gently and the fresh white powder all around us. Before we even hauled our bags into the house, we joined in with my sister to begin playing.

Most people would find the setting magical, but for us, living in Africa, this sort of thing is even more special. As is our wont, we quickly set about making a snow sculpture of some kind. Sculpture is probably too strong of a term for what we ended up with. We began by aiming for the shape of a dragon (a nod to a theme in some books that our girls are reading). A few obstacles got in our way. One was a lack of talent. The second was that the snow stopped falling and our source material began to dwindle. The third was that the temperature began to increase and our poor dragon’s head had difficulty staying on its body. Eventually, the project was abandoned and we opted for the great indoors and a hot cup of tea.

* * *

As I mentioned, we didn’t have a great deal of time in Boise. We did fit in a couple of dinners with family. We ran errands and did our pre-travel shopping. 

sporting goods stores in the US are on another level

Soon it was time to return to Kenya. With all the travel, two weeks is rather short. But it’s better than not going at all. In some families, time with family is stressful. For me, it is grounding. It’s just the travel that can be stressful. The good news is that the travel back to Kenya wasn’t noteworthy. We made our connections and the bags all arrived intact. Mission accomplished.

Indiana

We arrived in Louisville to brisk but not unreasonably cold weather. Unlike most people, I really like the cold. Yes, I have spent nearly twenty years in Africa and so it’s a bit more of a novelty for me. But I have embraced the cold since I was a kid. Back then I would spend hours and hours outside in the cold by myself in some sort of imaginary world (usually some sort of sports world) returning to the house when hungry, to watch a game on TV or to reluctantly go to bed if it was nighttime.

Nowadays, much of my life takes place indoors. I would like to change that at some point, but that’s the way it is for now. In my work, I often take trips to the field to visit activities which involves considerable time in the dusty outdoors. When in Nairobi I try to compensate by regular runs, outdoor workouts and/or by biking to work. But it’s never cold and often quite hot. There are certainly places to go in Kenya that are cold, but Nairobi is almost never jacket weather.

As such, I try to take in the chill when I go to the US in winter. We hadn’t been for a couple years so I was readier than usual.

* * *

When we are in Indiana, the routines are generally the same. We settle into my mother-in-law's house. Jet lag is usually not a big issue heading west and we adjusted quickly. Exposure to light, avoiding naps and, for me, a good workout, help me shift my circadian rhythm.

Most evenings were spent with the cousins. We would only have a week so the schedule was a bit more packed than usual. We had done quite a bit of shopping online which reduced the need to spend time in shopping malls (though it still had to be done). There is always a slowly progressing puzzle spread out on a card table. We make pilgrimages to the local YMCA for exercise, sometime twice in a day (once for me, once with the kids). We take walks around the neighborhood. 

Unlike most of America, my mother-in-law doesn’t have a TV in her living room. I find it refreshing. I do like to watch football, but the constant need to have a game on in the background is just not there. If I want to watch a game, it’s a targeted activity on my tablet where games have been recorded and I can avoid the ads. If the family wants to watch Jeopardy or something else, there’s a small TV in the office. In short, it’s there if you want it but life is not built around it. 

* * *

Scottsburg is a rather sleepy town of about 7,400 people. If you head north from Louisville, it’s situated about a third of the way to Indianapolis. It’s mostly flat with no mountains off in the horizon. The flatness does contribute to unobstructed tornado movement. We’ve been there when there have been tornado warnings in the summer but haven’t experienced anything nearby. There was a big one several years ago that destroyed a bunch of buildings in the area (and trashed a storage unit where my wife had been keeping some of her belongings).

Christmas Eve bridge walk in Louisville

Santa squeezing in some last minute recreation on the Ohio River before the big day

The town is relatively poor and we’ve heard that there’s a significant drug problem in the area, specifically methamphetamines. It’s far enough away from Louisville that it doesn’t serve as a bedroom community so employment is mostly derived from small businesses in the area. I suspect that unemployment is quite high.

Overall, not much happens here. I suppose that’s what makes it a nice place for a short vacation, at least for me. Given where I live and what I do for a living, a small, boring American town is just what I need. However, for our kids it’s a bit different. There is a lack of stimulation, particularly if you are coming from a city of around 5 million people. They can settle in and enjoy the quiet for a while. But that only lasts so long. 

* * *

One frequent complaint at the end of the holidays is that too much time is spent shopping, preparing meals, cleaning up, doing dishes, etc. I have frequently suggested that we take the path of least resistance and combine eating out/buying prepared food with home-cooked meals. It's a bit scandalous, I admit, for a family that enjoys home-cooked meals. But when you have so little time together, there are trade-offs. This year the team relented and, shockingly, it was Subway sandwiches on Christmas Eve. It was bittersweet. The kids ate and were off and running after seven minutes. There was zero preparation and almost zero cleanup. On the flip-side, one thing I learned from my Italian ex-in-laws was the respect for the meal as an event in and of itself. From the buying of the food at all the different shops, to the preparation, to the hours spent at the table, to the cleanup, it is to be taken seriously and not just something you do in between activities. For them, activities were built around meals. For Americans, it's usually the opposite. Our compromise was to cut corners on Christmas Eve and make up for it on Christmas day with a proper Christmas dinner. 

Christmas Eve we opened gifts. When they were delivered by Santa, it was always Christmas morning. But we've become decidedly flexible with our traditions. I realize that when traditions are flexible, there's a question as to whether or not they're even traditions. As our children are growing up in a foreign country, it's nothing like what I experienced as a child. Neither is better. Just different.

Christmas day was relaxed. I went for a morning run in the chilly morning. We had the big meal, went for a walk, worked on the puzzle, etc. Nothing exciting, but quite enjoyable.

Very quickly, the week was over. We would have an early morning wake-up (3am) and we would be off to Idaho.