when you’re happy and you know it

(may 14, 2007)

i was slightly late in coming to work this morning and on my daily walk along the nearly non existent walkway on the edge of the pot holed roads, i overheard a classroom of children singing (or yelling, as singing often is to 6 year olds) the song ‘if you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.’

it was a wonderful start to the week and encouraged me to reflect on the past weekend that i spent camping at a lake not far from town. we stayed in cabins that had everything cabins should – bunk beds, mosquito nets, and giant spiders. the cabin as well as the weekend was full of laughter, smiles, and countless jokes. you get a bunch of young, witty, and independent canadian women together and watch out!

this morning, as i overheard the children singing, i came to realise that i am happy. funny that you come to realise such things and do not inherently know them.

my weekend spent with friends i’ve met since arriving in nairobi 7 months ago contributed to this realisation. together we shared, we related, we laughed, we ran away from monkeys, we debated, we sat in silence. it was a mini break and a mini road trip and was not without the typical road trip necessities – pee breaks, road snacks, and cat naps. and the perhaps not-so-typical kenyan road trip necessities – police checkpoints, road side stops for basket, sheep skin, and pottery purchases (i couldn’t help myself, my bargaining skills were on fire and in hot demand).

these are the kind of girls who allow you to be totally yourself and i have no hesitation about acting goofy and ridiculous and even a bit crass without worrying about their reaction because it is almost always laughter. they just get it. i won't soon forget the conversations about the suggestion boxes and The High Five and the sore stomach that inevitably followed. as well as all of the things i learned from them.

sometimes you need to be reminded that someone’s got your back and that you know some pretty fantastic women and that those women wouldn’t choose anyone any less fantastic to spend a weekend in the great outdoors with.