In Karen, I lived directly across from the Nairobi National Park, affirming nearly all the stereotypes of living in Africa with wild animals. In the still of the night, I would hear lions growling as I headed home. Baboons ruled the roads from 11am, forcing me to zig-zag from one side of the street to the other to avoid them.
Occasionally, giraffes would venture to the edge of the park seemingly to greet me. It was exciting for the seven years I lived there and I delighted in showing off my exploits of 'life in the wild.' When the Galleria mall was opened, I planted myself there daily for free Wi-Fi with my coffee.
Then Lang'ata Road was expanded from two to four lanes and the Bypass was a welcomed addition. I was not the typical Karen resident as I frequently left the leafy suburbs. Many joked that they did not have a visa to go to town and preferred to stay in their quiet enclaves.
But eventually, that space started to feel small. I was getting irreparably bored rolling down Lang'ata Road to get to civilisation. I knew where the traffic would choke and now speed traps (really?) were set up. My trips to the mall lost their sparkle. After I took my son out of the best school ever, the lights slowly dimmed in Karen and my reasons for staying whittled down.
Out of the blues, an opportunity presented for us to move to Lavington. Lavington! It was a name that meant 'lavish' to me. Wide leafy streets, Lavington Green was getting a facelift into the 21st century.
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The Curve was added to the hood, Bikram yoga was hot and popping and the true gem – Jaffery's Sports Club that allowed a workout free from oncoming traffic. I would always say that if I lived in Lavington, I would be at Jaffery's everyday. In the nine years I have lived in Nairobi, I've never really had a choice on where to live.
The embassy chooses for you and when that chapter closed, my husband chose for us. But if I ever had a choice, it would have been Lavington. When the move was complete, I felt like I had just moved to Nairobi! Jaffery's, here I come!
