Kenya, the home of the Great Rift Valley and birthplace of President Obama’s father, has received much media hype and attention in the past year of 2013. With terrorist attacks organized by the Al Shabaab in Nairobi (the capital city), and visible anger among the population, the few days I spent in Nairobi were a bit shocking; if not terrifying.

On the night I arrived the first thing I noticed was that there were four, expressionless men dawning red berets and holding machine guns at the entrance of the hotel. My family and I were taken from the car and brought to the front of the hotel where we were then frisked for any firearms.

Confused and bewildered, I asked one of the hotel security guards why there were men with machine guns standing guard at a hotel. Very calmly, as if this was just an everyday occurrence, the guard told me that there had been a riot no less then a block away from the hotel a few hours before my family?s arrival.

My jaw dropped when I heard news of the riot. The streets were so quiet I could hardly believe that a riot had just happened. The guard reassured me that there was a fight among students at the local university and the police, things got out of hand, and a policeman panicked and killed one of the students. The guard then told me that the student who was killed was actually a nephew of his.

There were no tears of sadness trickling down his face; no anger filled speech, this man remained completely calm and completely expressionless. He simply reassured my family and I that we were safe and that the justice system would not fail.

Though my family?s stay in Nairobi was supposed to be our last chance to relax before starting our work in a small village, we were in for a rude awakening. The tension among the people on the street was so thick a person could cut it with a butter knife.

Anytime we wanted to leave the hotel, even if it was for a stroll to a nearby ATM, security was required to follow us. We bunkered down in our room for the most part during our stay in Nairobi.

As I sat down in our room, I began to think of what I was thankful for in America. Though our country has her faults, and by no means is America the perfect country, she has been able to secure the safety of her public better then most countries.

Most American?s do not live in fear that they will be caught up in violent riots, most of us do not live in fear of being shot down by the police in the middle of the street, most of us do not live each day as though it might be our last.

My time in Nairobi humbled me greatly. I often find myself ranting and complaining about petty problems that amount to nothing.

If this trip has taught me anything, it is that life is too short to always be negative. As the new year starts I will try to be more thankful for the things that I have.

This author can be reached via Twitter: @RRoggenstein. Follow The Feather via Twitter: @thefeather.

For more opinions, read the Dec. 17 article, Senior reflects on learning experience, journalism.