There are lots of ways I could tell this story. I could go with the crazy bus trip which involved getting stuck in the mud, spending the night in the middle of nowhere, meeting 4 shy nuns and a rude bus driver, losing my luggage [on a bus?!] and getting charged 100,000 [still on a bus].

Or I could focus on getting a pretty one bedroomed flat for 15K with no safcom network, and then, just days after signing the lease, seeing a second flat a few doors away – for 16K – with an extra bedroom.

I could go on and on about how I’ve changed a phone number that I’ve had for the last ten years because I’m just too tired to play somebody’s silly games. You, yes you. You are not well. You need help. Please go away!

Or I could talk about how I have spent three months worth of savings in less than a week because the cost of living has gone up that much…

I’m home to stay, and I’m glad. But there are a lot of challenges ahead of me. I’m happy to be here, and I’m pumped to face whatever I will find. I’ve learnt some lessons already. Like no matter how much you save up, it’s never enough for the move back home. Like people will surprise you; the ones that I thought would be happy I’m back could care less, and the ones I thought wouldn’t notice are being such darlings about helping me out. Like floor cushions are overrated, and carpets are very, very important. Seriously!

Like the scenes in movies where people have gobs of fun furnishing their new houses are, well, scenes in movies! Like big little brothers are priceless, and family, even dysfunctional family, is the greatest blessing ever.

Like Masai market is open on Sundays, and has lots of pretty calabashes but no clay pots. Like it feels really good to finally be indifferent about the Ex. Like I am truly blessed to love a Sailor boy who loves me back, and my heart has never been gladder.

Like no matter how hard they try, nobody can steal my joy but me.

So I choose to tell this story from a funny note.

See, today, I cooked.

The whole time I was in Dar, my nanny did the cooking, and when she was off, we subsisted on noodles and take-away fries. And ever since I got home last week, I have conveniently showed up at my dad’s during mealtimes. It’s so cool to have family nearby.

But today, finally, I had to cook.

So. Ugali and sukuma wiki. Also, eggs.

Now, see, eggs cost 9 bob. I am still in trauma. And mboga comes pre-cut now. [I can also get pre-boiled githeri, yay!] I have a choice of plain sukuma or spinach mix. I chose spinach mix.

But … well … I forgot to ask how much mix there was in the spinach.

Yes.

So by the time I was done cooking … well, I had this sufuria full of green porridge that, well, I haven’t tasted it yet, but it had princess grabbing the last pack of Maryland cookies and hanging on for dear life. Me, I hid in the bedroom with my laptop and sought solace online.

Le sigh.

Off to have a whiff of green sludge.

Happy New Year people. Spinach porridge notwithstanding, it’s good to be home.

Did I mention there’s no safaricom network in my house? Zain rules. Yu’s pretty good too. Arrivederci!

♫ Welcome back ♫ Ma$e ♫