Sergio's final days in Nairobi :-(

So, my byu is gone (byu = Sergio).  He moved back to DC to work and start a masters program. I am going to miss that crazy byu. Me without my byu is  like snoopy without Charlie brown, like peanut butter without jelly, like the hamburglar without hamburgers; like kim kardashian without that kaboose - it just aint right! But life goes on - and we'll be fine. Our whole relationship has been all over the map, sometimes together, sometimes apart, but these things just make life more interesting and show you that you are stronger than you may have thought, as individuals and as a couple (one hopes ;-).
Here's a look into the going away party that we had at Mercury Lounge in Nairobi -

I wore the dress I had made in Senegal for the first time.  I figured I needed to be as African as possible for his Out of Kenya party.  I got a bajillion compliments on it so I guess I pulled it off.

The DJ was doing it right.

DJ UV, he kept pushing a button that said his name..like every 4 minutes you would hear the sound system say "DJ UV IN DA HOUSE"

Mercury Lounge - Kind of retro swank

Our Family

Sergio started doing the booty dance with strangers

Love my dancing byu

 Then, as we approached the final couple of days before byu's departure - things weren't so happy. I was definitely hurting and getting some serious separation anxiety - sad Sergio was leaving and I wont see him for a long time and nervous about living here on my own after having been here so long with him. Things will be different for me here without him. And this place is dangerous. I don't know that many people in the grand scheme of things but among those people I know here at least 75% (no joke) have been the victims of a robbery or kidnapping or worse. So, being alone here, driving around, coming in and out of places, night time noises, all that is much more scarey without a partner.  But, the days have gone on and I am feeling fine and my confidence is up - There's a quote I like "“Fear, uncertainty and discomfort are your compasses toward growth.”    So true - change can flip you upside down..but even upside down can feel normal if you give it a few days, right? (dang, i should patent that line)

Anyways, in our last couple of days we found the best best restaurant!!! I cannot believe we have been here about 2 years now and never tried this place. They have an entire page of mexican food on their menu!! among other amazing things.

River Cafe! I'd seen it since we first moved here and always wanted to go but we just never did..it's sort of hidden back away from the main road.

cool open air restaurant next to a little pond. A lot of restaurants in Nairobi are like this. Open air and very sort of afro/euro rustic

They have tons and tons of plants and herbs and other stuff for sale and this old car that was so cute and small.

They even roast their own coffee with this old school roaster

On Sergio's last day here, he wanted to show me the Kenya International Conference Center, one of the tallest buildings in Nairobi where you can see the whole city from the top. So, that's what we did.

Jomo Kenyatta - First president of Kenya and independence leader

Overlooking Nairobi

 

 

 

me and my byu

Then we went to a hotel called the Ole Sereni. They have a terrace area called The Water Hole that overlooks the Nairobi National Park. - Sometimes you can see animals but we didn't see anything except a an aluminum giraffe.

Full sun

Starting to set

Gone

And that was it. Byu's last night. We went home, finished his packing and reluctantly went to bed knowing the next day would be "good bye". 

(I miss you)

xoxo