everybody must have a fantasy

this weekend marks exactly 1 year since graduation and also marks my 3rd full month in kenya!!

last night i was up late wrapping up a project and really had some time alone to think, calm my mind, and breathe. the work i was doing was soothing and somehow satisfying. the project had nothing to do with computers or the internet, it was very hands on and provided me with an end result. Something as simple as starting something then finishing it to completion is amazing. when working on the internet and looking at my schedule i often get overwhelmed with the endless amount of emails and things i need to do...but the pure simplicity of using scissors, using my hands, and seeing a product at the end was a nice change. 


but that also got me to thinking...how often in our days do we feel like we climbing a never ending mountain? i think it is so important to remember that there is an end result we are all working for. whether it is in sight or not, it is still there. after last night i am committing to integrating some sort of activity into my weekly schedule to make sure i do not lose sight of the simple things: starting a project (not using technology) and finishing it to completion.


on that note...try it?

the very beginning of the project

yesterday i traveled to one of the slums (kibera) and took a yoga class at this small school one of the AYP teachers teaches at. The one room school made of mud was beautiful. With the benches pushed to the back of the room next to the chalk board, over 30 children piled into the room and onto the floor for yoga. Ages ranging from 3 all the way to about 15, combined with myself and 3 other visitors (another american, a swede, and a german), the room was quite a diverse group of individuals. But that is the beauty of it-yoga can really bring people together. 


There is something really special about going to the yoga classes in the slums that i cannot explain in words but i will try...it is so easy and common for people to just come and 'visit' the slums to see them. I often hear people say 'oh i'd love to go see Kibera,' but what does that even mean? you want to go see it, take pictures of people and their living conditions, meet a few locals, then leave? taking pictures of just random people and walking around an area keep you on the outside-the yoga classes allow me and other visitors to really take part in a community event. these students come to class each week to practice yoga. in attending the yoga classes in the communities i'm constantly reminded that we all have something to share. we can share the dusty floor and lay in savasana with our eyes closed. where we go when our eyes are closed can be our own, but in that moment, when i was laying on the floor of this school (with no mat because to be honest all we need is the ground to practice yoga) next to all of these beautiful children, i felt more connected to them than i feel with most of the people in this world.

needless to say, AYP and the way this organization is connecting people around the world, continues to inspire me.


after writing all of this down i feel a bit foolish for how i've been thinking lately. i've been anxious and worrying about my future and the next few months, but i really need to take a step back.

'the good times of today are the sad thoughts of tomorrow' -bob marley

the truth in this quote boggle my mind. here i am plowing through life at full speed but it is so important to really take in each day at a time. i've been nostalgic about missing my friends, and family etc but i guarantee that as soon as i return home i'm going to be telling the stories of going to the slums for yoga, traveling to the coast, the consistent calls from the Masai just to say hello, travels to amboseli, shopping at this market, shopping at that market, eating at all the restaurants around nairobi, sneaking into the pool at the Serena, impromptu photo shoots, etc. and i'm going to miss it. i'm going to crave kenya like i crave chocolate in the middle of each month.


i guess there's nothing like having things put in perspective after a cleansing yoga session with some awesome people.


the past few weeks have been incredible...exhausting, but incredible.

Rozan stayed with us for about 4 weeks and having her was such a blast. we really got to know one another and i think she is hilarious, fabulous, and very intelligent. the conversations i have with her were stimulating, grounding, and enriching...her perspective on everything from men to politics around the world to the best cities in the world to party in, she constantly challenges my opinions and educates me on different issues. she leaves today and i'm sad to see her go-she was such a great house guest and i know our paths will cross again in the future, its just always hard to say goodbye. 


another person who is leaving kenya is my dear friend jessica-in the past month we've dined out in nairobi too many times to count, traveled to the coast, pool crashed at the tribe hotel, played parents to her fiances little brother, and became really good weekend friends. i've found that my friendship with her and jordyn allows me to have an out. our weeks are crazy and jam packed but we have been setting aside a night per weekend we get together and its been so nice. thank goodness jordyn will still be around this month while jess heads back to the states!

the camel people! i've been spending a lot of time with my friends who love camels lately which has fulfilled the randomness that i often crave in my life! sebastian, philippa, and alicia are traveling the world doing a documentary on camels-and are HUGE advocates for camel milk! these 3 are innovative, always thinking, and coming up with ways to move forward towards progress. billy and i spent an afternoon at their house doing some impromptu art activities, they came to kibera with me for yoga, and then they came to dinner and each time has been full of laughs, stimulating conversation, and random activities.

moving onward-Altitude for Africa Yoga Project!!! it is official-Melanie, Emily and I are climbing mt. kilimanjaro and fundraising for Africa Yoga Project while doing so! donate here if you want to support a great cause and motivate the three of us to work hard and train so we can conquer the tallest mountain in africa!!! https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/ayoga/donation.jsp?campaign=7

also i'm really really really looking forward to my parents visit in june! for both of them it will be their first trip to Africa EVER and for those of you who know my parents-they've basically been everywhere else! with that, i'd like to acknowledge my mom-she's about to head to haiti to do some work with the Universite d'etat d'haiti. her and a team of other Syracuse University people will be traveling together to Haiti this weekend to form the relationship between the 2 universities with hopes to engage in cooperative programs of education and research and promote exchange among their faculty, students, and staff. i cannot wait to hear how her trip goes and what she sees. haiti is a developing country and extremely poverty stricken, but i am very interested to hear her opinion on the comparison between kenya and haiti! so, keep an open mind gina lee and safe travels!

ok i'll end on that note. asante for reading :)

where are you today

the inconsistency of my life has led me to neglect this blog once again. busy working, being social, mapping out my next few months in Kenya while letting the confirmation of moving back to the states sink in. 

It has almost been exactly a year since I graduated from uni and my thoughts have been consumed with looking back on the series of events that have led me to this moment right now. It’s funny, everyone always told me “be sure to live up your undergrad years because before you know it they’ll be over before you know it” ha I laughed that one off numerous times and now I’m finally understanding where they are coming from.

This entire year I have continued a college-like/vagabond lifestyle in hopes to hold onto whatever youth and memories/good times there are left. I find it funny that I was still clinging to the idea of being so young when I know that it really doesn’t matter what my age is. Many peoples lives are defined by where they went to college, who they hung out with, what their parents do, where they’re from, etc. And these people lose sight of what really is important. It is irrelevant where you went to school, how much you spent on this or that and where you’re located at the current moment. The point I’m trying to make here is that your job/whereabouts should not define you-you should define your job. Paving the pathway to what you believe is the best choice to do in your life and following this pathway seems to be the most important lesson I have learned thus far. Finding a passion seems to be the largest battle of all. Who knows exactly what they want to do immediately after graduation? How could we? What have we experienced in our lives that has left us with an impression that we definitely know what we’re destined to do? The world teaches everyone who is willing to learn from it-and I must say the world has been one of my greatest teachers up to this point in my life.

This past year has taught me to live my life-not talk about things I want to do unless i'm going to follow through with them. I know a lot of people who constantly spew out these ideas about where they want to live, what they want to do, and so on, but very few of those people are actually doing anything about it. Personally this becomes frustrating because when people don't follow through with their words it takes away from their credibility in my opinion. The most important lesson life has taught me is that in the end we make our own happiness. We cannot rely on anybody else for this or else it takes away from the sincerity of the emotion. If we are genuinely happy with ourselves, then organically everything falls together.


1 year ago i was living in Pittsburgh unsure of what was to come. And here I am today, sitting in an office in Nairobi working for an awesome organization and loving my life. But like everything in my past, this time must come to an end...

the decision has been made-i'm returning to the states in July then picking up and tackling a new city: Boston. I will be moving there in August and starting classes at BU in the fall so I can now officially refer to this past year as a 'gap year' since I have a plan now. I'm nervous about a few different things but assuming (hoping) my fears will dissipate as soon as the adventure begins. I am currently stressing a bit about finding housing, taking classes again, really having to decide where my life is going...and the list continues-even writing this is causing an uneasy feeling in my stomach...

since my last post-paige has left for the states, about to take on quite the fundraising tour for AYP! Hoping to over 20 cities in a little over 1 month, I want to acknowledge her for spreading the AYP love and inspiring thousands of people around the world! The day before Paige left we took on quite an adventure-Paige, Billy, Hasan (our driver) some AYP teachers and I adventured to Naivasha for a quick little photo shoot. The grounds were lush and green and had wild giraffes, zebras, water bucks, and tons of other wild life just roaming the area-definitely not like any other place i've ever seen in my life!

the ladies!

The photo shoot was exciting, unorganized, hilarious, exhausting, and extremely inspiring. Being able to be an observer of what AYP has really done is one of the greatest part of being involved in the organization and since I was the one taking the photographs I was a few steps behind or ahead of everyone and really got a chance to watch their interactions. The love and friendships between AYP instructors is indescribable. The way they show affection to one another never ceases to amaze me; their comfort and genuine openness with each other is beautiful and I am so thankful and appreciative for the community that Paige has built here in Kenya.

The week following Paige's departure was busy and full of exciting developments. AYP started our first yoga class at Jessica's school (The Kibera School for Girls). Close to 50 little smiling, curious ladies and 2 boys packed into the community center in Kibera. 4 AYP instructors, Moses and myself led an hour long playful practice and at the end the positive energy could have radiated to the moon and back (unfortunately my camera was broken and being fixed so i couldn't get pictures). All the kids were giggling, being goofy, dancing around, and even the school teachers participated-it was such a great experience and I am so happy I was there to witness the first class! Partnering with Jessica's organization (www.hopetoshine.org) has opened up many opportunities and I am really looking forward to the Seva Safari retreat where we'll re-build one of Shining Hope's community centers in Kibera!


The rest of the week was a jumble of meetings, yoga classes, and just typical nairobi life. Over the weekend I taught the Saturday yoga class, took a visit to the Tribe Hotel, and on Sunday hosted a get together for some of the AYP ladies and the women who beaded for us. The house was full of children, loud music, the smell of sukuma and chapati, and bursting with energy. Most of our guests that day live in the slums in very small homes and it just felt really nice to be able to have them over where they could let their kids run around and not have to watch their every move.

some ladies at the house!

This past week has been full of a lot of mentorship calls, a few visits to the UN to present AYP, and office time. The office has been bustling and AYP continues to blow me away. The latest awesome development is Paige's fundraisers from Florida this weekend are titled 'Live from Africa' and we are skyping in from Nairobi to help teach her event! This is hands down one of the most unique ways to reach people to teach them about AYP and I cannot wait for it! I will update after they have completed in the next few days.


Also, I'm traveling to Diani Beach with a few ladies this weekend and really looking forward to a weekend away from my computer, the internet, and Nairobi. Not to say anything is wrong with those but it will be nice to relax, read a book, listen to music, enjoy the Indian Ocean and this beautiful country I'm residing in.


one last thing: I, Krissy Glauser, am officially climbing Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, in June...Melanie, Emily and I are doing a climb together to raise money for AYP...all of our details have not been worked out yet, but PLEASE support us by donating here:
https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/ayoga/donation.jsp?campaign=7

and to paige-today you're starting the tour and everyone from AYP sends hugs and kisses and we wish you a safe journey!