"You're doing what?!"

That's the reaction I got a few times when I tried to explain this trip. In European terms, what I'm doing doesn't make much sense. In Kenyan terms it makes perfect sense. So what is it I'm doing here again?

On 11 April 2012, I received a phonecall telling me that my father passed away very suddenly. With such an unexpected death, everything is topsy turvy. Nothing is ready, everything is somehow muddled through. Within a day of the call, I found myself on a plane to Kenya. With lots of help from family and friends we got through the initial chaos. When the dust, and emotions settle, it is time to clear up.

Clearing up in my particular case means taking care of my father's old house. Unfortunately it's seen better days and needs a lot of attention. After four trips to Kenya spread over a 16 month period, it became clear the only way to tackle this is to come out and stay here till it's finished. And so here I am.

So back to the beginning. "You're doing what?!" Coming out to Kenya for 3 months and spending a minor fortune on fixing a house miles away may seem like insanity for a European. However by Kenyan standards it makes sense; taking care of the house my father worked very hard for and the ground around it where he is buried.  In time it will hopefully become an asset for me and my family as well.

And so that's what I'm doing here - fixing a house, while reconnecting with my roots at the same time.