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This is it—the day we begin our journey back home to the United States. As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end, and so must our intellectually enriching, fun, and eye-opening experience in Kenya.
We started the day with breakfast. The first group (Yuzuki and Ny’Ree) left the hotel at 6:30am to catch an early flight. The rest of us departed at 11:30am, since all our international flights out of Nairobi were scheduled for late evening (between 11:00 pm. and 11:59 pm). Our first leg was flying from Mombasa to Nairobi. The drive from our hotel to Mombasa International Airport took about an hour and a half. Once there, we checked in smoothly and boarded our flight—arriving in Nairobi an impressive 20–30 minutes ahead of schedule.
With many hours to spare before our flights to the U.S., Dr. Jalloh headed out to retrieve our Maasai machetes. These items had been prohibited on the Nairobi – Mombasa train, because knives are classified as weapons, and all luggage is carried inside the passenger cabin. Security did not allow us to board them, so we left the machetes with our bus driver in Nairobi. He later handed them over to Professor Mildred for safekeeping.
After arriving at the Nairobi airport, Dr. Jalloh took an Uber—with Bagby and Sylvia joining—to pick up the machetes from Professor Mildred’s home. This detour turned out to be worthwhile, giving them a chance to briefly visit her beautiful home. In appreciation for the Uber driver’s patience and kindness, Dr. Jalloh and Bagby gave him all the remaining Kenyan shillings in their mobile money, m‑Pesa accounts (about $10 USD) as a tip. They returned to the airport on time and distributed the machetes to their rightful owners, who packed them into their checked luggage. With everything sorted, we proceeded to check in for our flights back to the U.S. via Amsterdam, Paris, and Frankfurt.
Unfortunately, the snowstorm across the U.S. disrupted several of our connections. A few students faced delays and rerouted flights. Despite these travel complications, everyone made it home safely.
We already miss our friends in Kenya and will forever cherish the memories we made in this beautiful country.
For Dr. Jalloh, co-leading this experiential learning trip with Hollins students for a second time was deeply rewarding. We gained valuable insight into Kenyan culture and reproductive health, and we strengthened our friendships with our Kenyan colleagues. The partnership between Hollins University and Kenyatta University continues to grow, and we look forward to many more exchanges in the future.
Until we meet again—see you soon, Kenya!
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