Ethnography, Essays, and More
Kenyan Marriage Bureaucracy
I’ve been married twice in my life; the first time was to another American in a courthouse ceremony in Virginia, and the second (final) time to a Kenyan in Kenya. The two processes were entirely different and worthy of documenting here. Note that in both instances, it is a civil marriage that is discussed and not the greater cultural traditions of religious ceremonies or tribal unions.
White in Kenya: Privilege, Perspective, and Positionality
“Mzungu! Mzungu!”
The call rings out as the sun dips behind the hills of Kapseret, Kenya. A group of men are stacked precariously onto a boda boda, zipping past while waving their arms like they’d just passed a celebrity. I wave back. It’s become reflexive. “Habari yako?” a chorus of schoolchildren calls from behind a chain-link fence, their faces pressed between the bars. I respond, “Poa,” and we continue walking. They clutch at the fence, not ready to lose sight of me.
You Can Never Go Home
You Can Never Go Home, reflections from 36,000 feet.
Home isn’t just a place — it’s a moment in time. But what happens when you return and find that everything has changed, including yourself? This is a story of loss, nostalgia, and the shifting landscape of America. Have you ever felt like you could never go home again?