As my time in Samburu nears an end, I would like to thank Save the Elephants for providing such an incredible experience. This past month has been filled with adventure, friends, and of course, elephants. The memories I have made here and the people I have met will forever be in my heart. I have learned so many things during this internship about elephants, Kenya, and myself. Here are random light-hearted ‘lessons’ I learned and the unique wonders of interning with STE:
- Kenya has its own measure of time. When a Kenyan tells you he will do something in 10 minutes, expect to wait at least 30 minutes.
- You know it was an intensely sunny day when your bucket of shower water is scorching hot.
- A snake found in camp is a very serious situation that results in continuous shouting and the gathering of large sticks and rocks for defense.
- At STE, your feet are clean for less than five minutes a day – from the time you wash them to the time you step out of the shower.
- A month old elephant calf has the power to melt your heart with the flop of his trunk.
- In the midday sun, the walk across the driveway from the office to my tent is the longest 50 yards of my life.
- Crimes of cultural inappropriateness are bound to be regretfully committed by uninformed interns.
- Kenya has its own measure of distance. When a Kenyan tells you a village isn’t very far, expect to walk for an hour.
- The drinking water is actually a solution of water and dirt for added flavor and nutrition. (Note: the water at camp is completely safe to drink; it is boiled before use.)
- Scorpions as small as a fingernail are the scariest ones to find – especially on your bath towel.
- Elephants are capable of completely destroying an acacia tree in a matter of hours, leaving piles of dung in its place.
- Everyone in Kenya (and at camp) has a cell phone and uses it 24 hours a day, every day, and sometimes two phones at once.
- An elephant bull (Anwar, specifically) has the power to destroy a vehicle and everyone in it yet will calmly stand two feet away and continue feeding. Such a humbling experience.
- Samburu people possess immense strength, skill, and knowledge to survive in such harsh conditions. I have great admiration.
- The only way to wear Samburu beaded bracelets is to make them yourself (with the help of skilled friends).
- In some areas of Kenya, the dust is so thick, you have to wash your child each night to ensure you have the right one.
- Everyone disappears in the heat of the afternoon, presumably to take a nap.
- Hornbills, Hadada Ibises, and vervet monkeys are the world’s most annoying alarm clocks.
- The stars in Kenya shine brighter than any I’ve ever seen.
- Watching the African sunset with great friends from atop a hill in Samburu is the perfect way to end an amazing adventure.