Today is my third Friday in the CRS East Africa Regional Office. I imagine that many people who have heard that I'm in Kenya for the summer might have images of villages, animals, or even deserts in their heads. Maybe people think I'm trekking through the savanna to remote locations. Unfortunately, if you're one of the people who thinks that's what I'm doing this summer, you are mistaken. No judgment here! Kenya is a far-away and mysterious place for most Americans. But I'd still like to set the record straight.

I live in a residential neighborhood in Nairobi, Kenya's capital city. Nairobi is an African regional hub, similar to Paris or Rome being European regional hubs. That being said, Nairobi does not look or feel like Paris, or Rome, or any other city I've ever visited. This sprawling city is lush and green, with more trees and bushes than buildings. Maybe that has to do with the fact that it's rainy season, but either way, it's a very different experience for me, and it gives a whole new means to the phrase "urban jungle."

Nairobi is busy and crowded. Traffic is always jammed, and stoplights only exist on the major highways. Sidewalks are also very hit-or-miss, so as a pedestrian, I am usually relegated to the dirt (it's rainy season, though, so mud) path next to the road. In short, getting around this city is nothing short of a daily adventure.

My office, which is a short walk from my apartment, provides me with a space to write, edit, and research for the CIRCA project. I will attend one or two CIRCA workshops this summer, but most of my time will be spent in the office. Though it would be exciting to get out in the field, I am constantly reminded that my work supports amazing programming all over the continent. The office itself helps me remember this fact, since there are beautiful photographs of CRS beneficiaries throughout the building.

Though I will never get to meet these people, I can see their faces, look into their eyes, and learn something about the impact of this work. CRS provides so many services for people all over the world, in addition to helping to strengthen communities so they won't always need humanitarian aid. The smart, resilient people who partner with CRS to help their families are working hard to build a better future. I see this every day in the people who work in this office, but it hits home in a more powerful way when I look at these photos.

Sitting in an office all day may not be some people's idea of a true "African Adventure," whatever that means. In some ways, those people are right. I'm not climbing mountains or journeying across the countryside in an all-terrain vehicle. I'm not sleeping in a hut or catching fish with a spear or trudging across the desert. But that's none of that is a reality for millions of Africans, and it's not a reality for me, either. I'm a city girl, so I moved to an African city. And though there may be a few degrees of separation between me and the people who benefit from my work, I still feel connected to them. And thanks to the internet, I also feel connected to my folks back at home, too. So, in a way, I serve as a connection between Kenya and America. If you ask me, that's pretty cool.

This precious child thinks it's cool too.