Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Final Touches

This morning, my mom walked into my room at 6:45 AM with two glasses of chai. She sat on the edge of my bed and gave me a loving look accompanied by an endearing, "Your room is a mess." Mess is an understatement. My room is an amalgamation of dorm unpacking and Africa packing.

Just a few hours after my mom's tea surprise, Hannah Schmitt came to my house to, essentially, watch me pack. She has been a best friend of mine since 8th grade and she wanted to be able to see my face before I leave. With Hannah, I ran around Schaumburg and Barrington dropping $$$$ everywhere in preparation for the trip. Having her around was really stellar because in between finals at the end of the term, packing my dormitory, and packing for Africa, I haven't had a time to breathe. Her presence calmed me. If you know her, then you definitely know what I'm talking about. I even got to video chat with Ally and Isolina, my other pillars in my life. I'll be thinking about them while on this trip.

On a more relevant note --

Things to pack:
- white v-neck shirts
- cargo pants
- quick dry towel
- I just got too lazy to actually complete the entire list. But I'm sure that as the entries ensue, the necessities I packed will eventually come to light.

My 7 lb maltese poodle just snuggled against my thigh as I'm typing. He can fit in my suitcase.... I am becoming eager/excited/nervous/optimistic/all of the adjectives for the next few hours. My next post will likely be from Kenya (I arrive there on Saturday) and I will be sure to include pictures of my city tour around Amsterdam and my arrival in Nairobi.

Also, I bought the most hideous shoes today.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

I leave for Amsterdam in 24 hrs

I probably spent too much time trying to pick the right font and font colors for this. It's just another way I can procrastinate from the nerve-wrecking experience that is packing for a trip to Africa.

Usually when I go on trips, especially ones to other continents, I travel with the comfort of knowing that my family is just an arms-length away. I'm going to Migori, Kenya to work at a St. Joseph's Mission Hospital for 3 weeks, followed by a week on a safari tour of the Serengeti. Admittedly, it's much easier to type these words than it is to fully realize them. I don't think reality will settle in until my first day at the hospital in Africa, in all honesty.

I'm keeping this blog for a number of reasons. First, I want to have a record of my experiences there in Africa. Pictures will, hopefully, be posted regularly so my readers can have a context of what I'm talking about (I suppose its a bit bold of me to assume that I'll have readers...). Second, maintaining a blog will help me keep track of how I change over my stay. I suspect that this trip will be "life-changing" and will "probably change me forever", so I want to monitor those changes over time. I still haven't packed yet. This blog will also be used to keep my friends and family back home in the loop -- I think it will help my parents sleep at night if they are able to check on me daily, even if it has to be through the interface of a blog.

When I arrive in Amsterdam, I have a 14 hour layover. My dad, the mastermind behind this trip, has scheduled a city tour for me, which I am quite excited for. I guess I'll talk about that more when it happens. Also, sidebar: I will not be quite as punctual as my entries continue. I feel a first-post-ever-on-the-internet obligation to be a bit formal in my first post. But I digress.

I'll miss everyone terribly and I will undoubtedly change in the next few weeks. But those changes won't hurt me -- they will make me stronger and wiser.

In the meantime: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRpeEdMmmQ0