Wow, I've already been in Africa for two weeks now - I guess I'm a little behind on starting my blog. I decided to name my blog "Liminal Living" due to the strange phase of life I recently entered. As an unemployed recent college grad, I am attempting to make the most of this unique time where I am not part of any group, not bound by any commitments and not categorized as anyone in particular (except American and tourist maybe). Fittingly, my last block at CC was a religion class called "Conversion" and we spent 3.5 weeks discussing the implications of "liminality". Although there is nothing concrete or clear about this topic, and I still feel a bit confused about what we were ultimately trying to accomplish in the class, what I did learn was that we spend our entire lives going through conversions - whether intentional or accidental, conscious or subconscious. Each conversion we undergo is preceded by a stage (or many) of liminality where one is not marked by any boundaries or associations but exists in an alternate state of liminality. Each of these liminal stages and their resulting conversions build upon each other making us who we are. I am, therefore, attempting to soak up this odd, liminal state putting off my next conversion rather than searching for it.
On my first night while hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro, I began reading a book my mom gave me before we parted ways in Paris called "Tales from Nowhere", a collection of travel stories. I was stoked to read a quote in the introduction which perfectly described what I was seeking to do this summer. It read, "Nowhere is a setting, a situation and a state of mind. It's not on any map, but you know it when you're there."
So here's to embracing the liminal and searching for the comforting nowhere of travel!
1st night in Africa- Regional Hotel in Nairobi. Had to take a selfie for my first time in a mosquito net.
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