Thoughts, Dreams, and Kenya.

I had a dream that I was packing to go back to Kenya.

I woke up this morning ecstatic. 

It made this school year seem a little more bearable. I had something to look forward to.

Then I realized that this, in fact, was just a dream.

And I was already 10 minutes late to class.

Why can't dreams be reality?

I have recently been thinking about all the lessons I learned while in Kenya.

About myself, about other people, about life in general.

Similar situations have been occurring in my life currently and I have been trying to pull the schema learned in that experience (thank you Educational Psychology. See mom, I AM learning something).

I had many wake up calls while while volunteering and teaching there. 

I miss it. I miss the brutal reality that I learned.

I learned how to treat people. 

I realized that there are always going to be people who function, act, and deal with conflict differently than you.

And I learned that they still deserve to be treated well. 

I find myself getting frustrated with people I see on a day to day basis.

And I am trying to open my heart. 

But let me tell you, it is very difficult. 

I want to go do something similar this next summer SO BAD.

 But, I don't thing it is in the cards for me. 

Want to know something silly, perhaps, idealistic?

I want to go somewhere every single year for the rest of my life and do service. 

I want to live with the people. I want to struggle with them.

Why?

Because I love places that make my problems seem so insignificant.  

Again, someday.