Tuesday 30 May 2017

I'm Back From Kenya, I Wrote LesMisBook & I Have Dreadlocks

Now we can work through that list one at a time.

1. OH MY GOSH HI!

All the gifs in the world cannot convey the JOY IN MY SOUL at being able to say: hey guys! What's up? 

I went to Kenya for four months.

It was pretty great.

You may have questions, such as “how was it?", “what did you do?", “did you ever ride an ostrich?" The answer to the third one is yes I did.

Actual riding pictures will follow.
The answers to the other two are a bit more complex. I will post about Kenya, if you'd like that, but this post is more like a meerkat popping its head up in the desert to say, “yes! Here I am!"

2. I Wrote LesMisBook

Yes, indeed! I've never written a contemporary before but I had a whale of a time. I finished it sitting in front of that wooden door, with the mountain behind me.


In other writing news, I am now fifth-drafting TCATT. Which is hard.

3. I Got Dreads

So that's fun, eh?

I have pictures and I will share my pictures just as soon as I can, but currently they're stuck on a friend's iPod, like a person stuck at the train station in the rain when their lift's not showing up.

Keep checking back, yeah?

It's strange to be back, and yet, in another way, it feels like I never left.

When I think about Kenya it fills my head -- the heat, the way the clouds looked different in the massive skies -- but equally the familiarity of home has fallen all around me, as if my life has carried smoothly on from the place I left it in January. But I guess I'm a different person, so I can't just consign Kenya to memories.

It's good to be back. Seeing my family and friends. The wonderful greeting my dogs gave me. Swimming in my lake; G&Ts in the garden; enjoying long evenings after spending my spring on the equator, where the days are always twelve hours long. And, oh my, all the food I missed! CHOCOLATE. It's been a good homecoming.

I've got a lot to say, but for now I just want to hear all your lovely voices (in a virtual sense), and visit all your lovely blogs. It's been too long.


~***~

Until very soon! 

29 comments:

  1. we missed you!!! so glad you're back and that you had a good time! <33333

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  3. "Yeah, I'm back...btw, I rode an ostrich, wrote a book, and have dreads..."

    GIRL. WHAT THE HELL? WE NEED DETAILS.

    Elisabeth @ Inkspelled Faery

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    1. I HAVE POSTED! Not about the ostrich or the book or the dreads, to be fair, but soon!

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  4. Welcome back, you have been missed!
    I'm eager to hear about your adventures!

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  5. WELCOME BACK, EMILY! It sounds like you had a wonderful time - definitely looking forward to hearing more about your experiences in Kenya and about LesMisBook, too! By the way, I've seen someone ride an ostrich and it was hilarious - I must see those photos! XD

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    1. THANKS! Hahaha it was pretty hilarious, also TERRIFYING!

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  6. All of those things are awesome! Sounds like you had quite the adventure.
    I am so happy you're back!

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  7. I'm glad you had a lovely time. Good to see you back. You must expand more on ostrich riding haha!

    storitorigrace.blogspot.com

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  8. IT CAN'T BE.... NO..... WAIT.... I THINK IT IS.... OH MY GOD ...... IT'S EMILY!!!!
    Welcome baaaaack!!!! Dude you been gone for centuries!!! I think I'm using way too many explanation marks to get across my point!!!! But who cares!!!! You're back!!!!
    Sounds like you had an AMAZING time in Kenya! And you got DREADLOCKS?! W.O.W. That is so cooooolllll!!!!
    And you rode an ostrich? XD
    I am super jealous of your amazing lifetime experience. What a fantastic opportunity to see more of the world and really get to know the culture and country. I can't wait to hear more about it and see more pictures, particularly of your hair?!
    It's so great to see you're back. As you've noticed Amy and I were missing you buckets. I shall be awaiting for more posts (im)patiently by my email.
    Lottles of love <3 , Marian

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    1. excuse any typos I'm typing super fast as my battery is dying.

      P.S. I'm so HAPPY you're BACK!

      I feel like I need to insert a gif here. Maybe a harry potter one about You know who being back. But that would compare you to voldmort and either way I don't think you can comment with pictures.... can you? ... that should totally be a thing!

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    2. I'M BAAACK!!!! AND I LOVE EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!!!! And I love these comments! Hope you'll enjoy reading about my travels.

      LOTS OF LOVE!!!! <33333

      PS the picture/gif thing made me laugh :'D

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  9. EM!!! I didn't know you were in Kenya!? That's awesome! Four months is a long time for sure so I can imagine the greeting you got from your dogs when you came home. I'd love to hear all about your trip when you write a more detailed post :) Hope you're doing well!
    - July, https://julyaemmance.blogspot.com

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    1. I was! And it was a pretty great greeting. I hope you're well, too! <3

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  10. YOU'RE BAAAAACCCKKKKKKK!!!! Dudeeeeee, every time I went on my blog or to write a posy and check up on other blogs, I'd come back here and be like.. oh wait... she's still gone. But you're baccckkkkk!!

    "I can post about Kenya if you want" um??? helloooo??? yes yes yes we do want, with lots and lots of cute photos and anecdotes please and thanku. Anyway, I'm so glad you had a great time and even rode an ostrich - I want to do that!

    WHAT??? That's the best writing place ever, I'm so insanely jealous that you got to write with that background. Congrats on finishing it, I bet you're chuffed!

    You.. got dreads??? Um??? This post is full of surprises, what!! I had two little dreadlocks at some point, but they kinda fell out and I never got them back, but they were super cute when I had them. We have to see this dude.

    Ohmygod my dog goes crazy after I'm gone for like an hour, you must have had a truly insane greeting after months on end!

    Did you get a tan?? Did you get to try out another language? What did you do, in detail? Man, I haven't been away in so long, I'm just going to live vicariously through you if that's okay.

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    1. YES I AMMMMMMM!!!! Dude you're so cute :')

      I have posted! And thanks! And yes, I did! Lol your dreads do sound cute XD

      Truly insane!

      I did get a tan, I learnt a smidgen of Swahili and an even smidgier smidgen of Samburu, and as for what I did in detail?? I am going to post about it all. I've done one so far!

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  11. Heyy!! Welcome back and tell us more about this ostrich riding! Heh. Congrats on completing LesMisBook!

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  12. I love meerkats.

    That looks like such a beautiful place to finish LesMis. :)

    DREADS!

    Being greeted by the dogs is, like, the best part of coming home!

    Ok, I shall go now! Hope all is well and home is good. :)

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    1. I love meerkats too, to be honest. (PS last Saturday = best day ever.)

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  13. WELCOME HOME, EM! I didn't realize I was missing Ink, Inc. so much until I saw new posts on my dashboard. ^_^

    I seriously need a whole post about each item on your list, though! Kenya! LesMis! (How're Tracey and Ibrahim??) Dreads! Everything! XD

    I can empathize with that strange feeling of coming home after such a vivid time elsewhere. Although my college experience wasn't very far from home geographically, I did change there. It's interesting to see which parts of myself still fit now that it's over, and which don't.

    But anyway, I'm glad you had a great time in Kenya, and I'm glad you're back! <3

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    1. THANKS! You're so cute! Tracey and Ibrahim are fab, I'm typing the thing at the moment and I have to think of you and smile every time they're on page!

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  14. OHMERGOSH EMILY YOU'RE BACK!! AND YOU'VE GOT DREADS!!!!! AND YOU WROTE A BOOK BESIDE THOSE FABULOUS MOUNTAINS!!! Basically I'm just super excited to hear all about your trip to Kenya and your book and asdfjkl!!!!

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Thanks for commenting! :)