Sirville Lodge Elementaita.

So for my 26th birthday, I decided to go on a solo trip. It was something that had been on my list for a while and this just felt like the right time. I was also going through it mentally lol and needed to catch a break. I got my friend Rodney, who runs Tukizuru Tours https://tukizuru.com, to book the hotel for me seeing as he was more likely to get a better rate than I would. I made my trip down to Elementaita on the 3rd. I took public means, got onto a matatu to Nakuru at Tearoom. The trip took me about 3hrs. Sirville is roughly a kilometer from the main road and so getting there was not much of a hustle. Of course, I did not walk, I got a bodaboda to get me there lol.

The check-in process was fast, barely took me five minutes. I am genuinely in love with Lake Elementaita, if I was to own a holiday home I am sure this would be one of my destinations. I got there in time to watch the sunset and this is one of my favorite things about nature, that and sunrise. Watching the sunset over the lake from the pool was breathtaking. The view from the pool is mesmerizing. The pool was one of my favorite things about the place. The view and the fact that it had a bar area where you could swim and drink without necessarily having to leave the pool. I also liked the fact that it was clean.

Dinner was a buffet, which was not so bad but it isn’t the best buffet I have had. The desert was a bit disappointing, and God knows I love my dessert. I loved the fact that the staff lit a bonfire just by the lake and I got to be with my thoughts for thirty minutes before the other guest found out about it. I loved the conversation with strangers by the bonfire. These guys left Europe to come and cycle in the rural parts of the country. One guy was so excited about seeing wild animals on the road that you could see him beaming lol. Kinda hit me that we do take these things for granted. I was impressed to learn that there is a law in Belgium that dictates a third of every company board should be women. Talk of better opportunities for women lol.

The next morning, I was up early enough to catch the sunrise before going back to bed till 9 am. I was late for the buffet breakfast but the staff was kind enough to set a table for me by the lake. I keep saying I love large water bodies because they are calming but having breakfast by the lake was a surreal experience. Watching the flamingos and pelicans just move majestically minding their business, the scenery at the backdrop was just what I needed. After breakfast, I went for a dip all alone in the pool, I also got to use the steam room for just sh.800. I got ready to check out since I had to come back to the hustle that is Nairobi. Had my lunch, enjoyed the view from the deck as I caught up on some reading. At around 1600hrs I called the boda guy I had used the day before and he took me to where I could get a direct matatu to Nairobi.  

 

Am I excited about 26? Yes, I am, more so cause the year started with me ticking something off my bucket list. I am hoping for a better year. Would I take a solo trip again? I definitely would. The experience is different. I legit did not know what to expect. I would recommend everyone to take a solo trip at least once in their lifetime. Would I recommend Sirville? 100% yes, just don’t expect too much when it comes to food lol. 

Book Review.Charlamagne Tha God. Shook One; Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me.

  Hey y’all, it’s been forever, my bad. Well, this is not the usual travel post. I have been meaning to do book reviews for the longest time, now I get to do one. So, I came across this book when my crush tweeted about it. He was talking about the two books he loved and this was first on the list and the second one was My Voice by Angie Martinez. I figured there is no harm in trying to figure out what kinda books he is into so I added it on my reading list. I cannot really say I am a huge fan of Charlamagne, I know he hosts The Breakfast show, I had no clue he had two books out. I honestly did not think I would enjoy the book. Heck, I have rarely enjoyed let alone finished books by celebrities, apart from Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime (this was a super easy read. Probably coz it was full of humor and it was relatable and definitely coz I like him). I never finished Gabriel Union’s We are going to need more wine, never started Kevin Hart’s I can’t make this up, DJ Khaled’s The Keys et al. I am actually yet to read Becoming by Michele Obama but that’s coz I am yet to buy the paperback copy.

Anyway, I was talking about Charlamagne’s book. I surprised myself by finishing the book in a day and this was majorly coz it was a really easy read. The book is about his battle with anxiety and it tends to be totally relatable. He talks about instances when he got anxiety attacks and how he dealt with that, he traces the issues from as early as his childhood and his need to fit in (we have all been there). He also talks about men and seeking therapy, a conversation we have had with friends over an article we read (https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a27259689/toxic-masculinity-male-friendships-emotional-labor-men-rely-on-women/). Which seems to be a really big problem.

The book has a few hilarious parts but it mostly hits on how anxiety can be paralyzing even to those we think have made it in life. The book has a lot of references to hip-hop music, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get it or enjoy it (he referenced some interview Trevor Noah did with Tomi Lahren and I had to go looking for it coz I skipped that one). I loved the book because; in as much as it was talking of his personal experience with anxiety, he brought in a professional to correlate his experiences with clinical aspects and I could see myself in some of his experiences. Plus when he was talking about him dealing drugs, that came off like a scene from the Television series The Wire.

Some of my favorite parts of the book were:

“This sort of anxiety attack always happens whenever I reach a new level of success. I start over-thinking about the new devils that come with the new levels. Great things can be happening all around me and my mind gets stuck playing a loop of the worst possible scenarios.” (I have been through this so many times)

“My biggest fears come from my insecurities. Specifically, those rooted in what I perceive to be other peoples’ opinion of me. My issue was never with being a pussy. Only with being perceived that way.”

At a time where mental illness is on the rise, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Good reads rates it 4.15 so you know it is worth a try.