California Love

 Hello!

 A few weeks ago I jet to SoCal for some quality time with my family from the golden coast. I have loved California since I was a little girl. Other than Texas it is probably the only state in the US I could envision having a life in. The sunshine, beautiful beaches and laidback lifestyle hooks me every time.  I thrive on being active and outdoors, and the gorgeous weather makes a perfect playground for running, surfing and swimming. 

Although my stay was short, we managed to squeeze in some poolside time, shopping and a  beachside brunch in Laguna. I adore Laguna. Most might associate it with a certain unfortunate television show, but I like to imagine it as the charming artisan town adopted by landscape painters in the 1920’s. It’s a must go every time I visit. If you can stop by Las Brisas for brunch and mimosas. The ocean view is gorgeous and the food is delicious! More to come queridos. I promise I won’t be such a stranger this week. 

K.

What the World Needs.

Confession: I'm slightly burned out right now. I am tired and lack inspiration. 

We all go through these phases. If we lived in a constant high la vida would get extremely dull, no? I think its important during the low (or maybe just stagnant) times to remember the things we are thankful for. Today I am grateful for the gift of having the world opened up to me. It has made me view life in such a bigger, more beautiful way. It has also exposed me to it's problems, which have inspired me to live with purpose. Through my experiences I have become more open minded, understanding and compassionate. Most importantly, I have learned that life is a gift. 

If you are as blessed as me to have a place to call home and people who support you, don't waste what you have been given. Do what you love, laugh often and give back. Open yourself to new experiences, be quick to forgive, share your passions and travel when you can. Not everyone was meant to dedicate their life to saving the world, but by following your dreams you make more of a difference and than you think. People who live a life they love are pretty great at spreading joy. 

I'll leave you with some pictures of my trip to Bogota. It was full of catching up with old friends, walking in parks, dancing and eating at delicious restaurants every night. I also made a visit to a city orphanage. By law I wasn't allowed to take pictures of the children, but I did include a shot of our charming little tour guide taking a picture of me through the window. 

Love. -K

Colombia, el riesgo es que te quieras quedar.

Holaaa. 

After Africa I had the opportunity to jet down south for some R&R in the beautiful country of Colombia. If you were wondering by now, yes. I only enjoy spending travel time in countries on the State Department warning list. 

Joking!  

Sort of? ;)

When many think of Colombia, kidnappings, Pablo Escobar & illicit substances happen to come to mind. 

But let's get this straight right now.

Unless you are running for public office or go wandering into FARC territory in the middle of the jungle, it is not likely you are going to be taken and held for randsom. You probably have a higher risk of being abducted in downtown Dallas. Yes, Colombia has had an unfortunate past, but it has made huge strides in security in the last two decades. The people are moving forward and not looking back. Their motto - "The only risk is wanting to stay". 

The country is one of the best kept secrets of Latin America, and I've been enjoying this hidden gem with a handful of non-fearing foreigners for years now. I have, however, been pleasantly surprised at the growing amount of tourist each time I return. As much as I'd like to keep it to myself, you should go book a ticket right. this. instant. 

Why?

The people are arguably the kindest on the planet.

The cuisine is divine.

The cities are full of life.

The natural landscape is breathtaking.

I could go on forever. 

A ridiculous amount of people in my life happen to be Colombian, so I might be biased. But I have been ten (yes, ten!) times and can't get enough. So get on it, people! You won't regret it. 

Kiki

Time Management

So. I hit the gym at lunch to leave time for blogging after work. Bad news is, I instead used this time to work more and didn’t get home until entirely too late. And I am beat . Whoops.

One hard lesson you learn when joining the working world, there's not enough time in the day! Enjoy the U while you can, ladies and gentlemen. 

I promise to tell you all about my little escape down Sur tomorrow. Until then, become a follower of Kismet here pretty please. 

I’ll leave you with a little Instagram hint of where I went.

Any ideas? Yes.. that is a Teddy Bear in my latte. I know, I was amazed too. 

XO -Kiki

Texas Summer

Hello!

 Don’t hold this against me… but my blog posts as of late might have been misleading in the fact that I just arrived from Africa. I was indeed on the beautiful continent for nearly a month, but since then have been catching up with work, family and friends. Not to mention taking a much needed vacation in Latin America, which I will share with you soon!

Blogging deemed impossible in South Sudan given the fact I was working in such remote locations the majority of my time. I did, however, draft my posts offline. The same posts you have been reading the past few weeks.

I am now settled back home for the time being, enjoying what is left of my Texas summer. I’m happy to be back in the swing of everyday life, but the heat has made me want to hop on a plane headed anywhere cooler than 100 degrees.

Fortunately this weekend we were granted some relief with a summer storm. One of my favorite things about Texas!

 Mas to come!  -K

"Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes." - Henry David Thoreau

 I really love the fact that in the Kuku language there is no word to be found for goodbye. I have spent such a memorable few weeks here in East Africa. My time has been filled with new friends, fun projects, exciting adventures, quiet reflection and lots of laughter. I have earned an impressive number of stamps on my passport since my late teens, and through my journeys I have been blessed to encounter a plethora of lovely, unique people. You might not always be able to keep up with every person you meet along the way, but at the end of the day you know when the time comes to cross paths once again, your conversation will flow as if time never really passed. And that, my friends, is what makes travel worthwhile.
  Love.

                  -Kiki

Boomer. ;)

Kampala

 We’re in Kampala today to have some fun before we head back! The capital of Uganda, Kampala is home to around one million. We are staying in a hostel called The Red Chile, which is rather quaint! To tell you the truth I was expecting much worse. You can meet people from all over the world, and the staff is friendly and helpful. Not to mention their brick oven pizzas are absolutely mouth watering.

Our first full day here we went white water rafting on the Nile in Jinja. Let's just say, I don't know why this wasn't on my bucket list before! I have been rafting in New Mexico, Colorado & Colombia, but nothing compares to the Nile. 3 words: LEVEL. FIVE. RAPIDS. Our raft flipped twice, and we feared for our lives, but oh- was it invigorating! The genius I am I volunteered to be our row leader with a just as crazy New Zealander. We had the pleasure of sitting up front and watch helplessly as eight foot waves crash over our heads. I cannot wait to do it again!

 Our last day here we visited some artisan markets for last minute gift shopping. We also went on a mad search for local tunes, which we had burned for us at an obscure barber shop. It made for a pretty entertaining story.

 I am sad to leave Africa tomorrow, but alas, all good things must come to an end. Some pictures from our adventures in Uganda -->

Love! K