As 2012 begins, I believe it is important to reflect on how good 2011 was to me.
I haven't figured out how to get fancy on my iPad yet so sans photos and ornate fonts here simply are 28 things I am grateful my 28th trip around the sun included:
1. A running injury that humbled me and made me realize what a blessing running is. After pulling my groin while coaching XC I stubbornly finished 26.2 miles in the Chicago Marathon on 10/10/10 and consequently had to take seven months off running. I started 2011 by joining the gym so yoga could help me heal.
2. Kicked 2011 off attending the Outback Bowl in Tampa with great friends. Penn State may have lost but I got to see JoePa coach his final bowl game. We are still Penn State!
3. A beautiful Pittsburgh winter wedding 1/22/11- congrats to my cousin Keith and his wife Mindy! I do love Barr family weddings, especially when the bride and groom enter the reception with Terrible Towels waving!
4. Steelers made it to the Super Bowl again! While they didn't win, I learned how to make a stellar black and yellow cake!
5. Rodeo Day- yes my school still gives kids a day off to go to go to the county rodeo!
6. My parents celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary, now that's something to be proud of:)
7. My students rocked the state writing test. Congrats to all my fellow hard working teachers!
8. A Burgh girls reunion in North Carolina to see the first Burgh girl's baby! It was a fabulous weekend with best friends and one adorable five month year old baby boy.
9. Wicked musical on St. Patrick's Day!
10. Discovering new places in FL. When my parents came to visit in April we went to the Ringling Museum in Sarasota since I had just read Water for Elephants. I definitely recommend checking the 66 acre estate out if you haven't been there.
11. Participating in Muddy Buddy for the 5th year in a row. 6 miles of biking and running with incredible friends!
12. A third year of enjoying the Jimmy Buffett concert in Tampa. We all get by with a little love and luck!
13. A wonderful birthday spent with wonderful friends! You all know who you are!
14. Biking in the MS150 across FL- 84 miles the first day through fog, heat, and a rainy finish. Kath, Kim, Mario, and all of the Gaylord team- I owe you all for helping me along all those miles!
15. While thanking people, Melanie you get your own spot. You truly encouraged me so much all year, and your sweet words led to biking and travel adventures, along with a new favorite book!
16. A summer day spent sailing in the Atlantic Ocean.
17. Six shots, three in each arm and a month supply of Malaria medicine.
18. Spending Father's Day baking a cake w/ my best friend and her baby in NC for her husband. There's nothing like laughing with a friend you've known since 6th grade to help ease the fear of flying over 9,000 miles alone to go volunteer in a third world country.
19. Beating my brother at Words with Friends. Yes, this is noteworthy because he is that good. On the same note, I am grateful for NOT having a phone the whole month I was in Africa. Conversations had while walking through the village and on the front porch were priceless.
20. AFRICA. I could list hundreds of things about Africa but that is what the rest of this blog is about and someday I will finish transferring my journal. I cannot thank everyone enough who helped make my dream of teaching in Africa come true. It truly was a life changing experience.
21. Pole, pole- Swahili for slowly, slowly. That is how my day climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro went but more importantly I learned life is more enjoyable when you take it slowly.
22. My best friend since 3rd grade gave birth to a healthy son! I started crying when I called her from Zanzibar and could hear her glowing over the phone.
23. My parents, brother, and I spent Labor Day weekend in San Francisco! It was our first family vacation in over a decade and a great trip from biking across Golden Gate to touring Alcatraz.
24. Camping on the beach at Fort DeSoto with my fellow TriJunkies! There's nothing like waking up in a tent on the beach, biking gorgeous paths, and ending the day around a campfire:)
25. Halloween- multiple costumes, running a 5k with the cross country team I coach, trick or treating at the Magic Kingdom, and always making time to read It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown to my students!
26. Little Everglades Ranch- I am cheating and combining but two memorable events occured here. First, I coached at the State Cross Country Meet. I never thought I would do such a thing so thank you to everyone who gave me running advice. Coaching became my favorite thing of fall and it was so inspiring to see the best runners in the state compete! Second, I survived 12 miles and 27 obstacles of Tough Mudder! My team rocked and I met new running friends, so I am sure more TM races are in my future!
27. Attending my 10 year high school reunion. I almost didn't go and am so glad I did. There were many laughs to be had as we reunited to the music that took us back to our high school days!
28. The joy of Christmas- holiday parties, seeing the Rockettes in NYC, a Steelers victory at my brother and I's first game in Heinz Field on Christmas Eve, and most of all treasuring time with family and friends!
Thank you to everyone who made 2011 unforgettable! Best wishes to all of you for an amazing 2012! Your trip around the sun is what you make of it so make sure it is full of love and laughter!
CARPE DIEM!
-DB
Monday, January 2, 2012
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Sun(rise) Salutations!
The former was said by Amel, a lawyer from Bahrain/ instant close friend who I first met when we shared a connecting flight from Dubai to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Amel said this as she was finishing leading a morning yoga session and I have been repeating it since. It is a perfect way to start the day with peace and gratitude. Africa is very much a sunrise/ sunset place as people live by the sun rather than electricity. Frankly, they don't have much choice as hardly anyone has electricity in their homes(huts) and the few places in town which do have electricity can't rely on it since the power frequently goes out. Honestly though it is quite refreshing to know there is a time work must cease as the night calls all to sleep.
While Cross Cultural Solutions does have a generator for power, they also have a 10pm curfew so the other volunteers and I are always back to home base by then. My usual habit has been going to bed at 10(3pm Eastern Standard Time) and waking up at 6am(11pm Eastern). It is interesting to think that as I'm waking up, people on the other side of the world are going to bed. I must say I love how I see the streets come alive as I walk on the dirt roads to the school I teach at. There is no such thing as staying in bed past sunrise here. The roosters and the people alike all rise to start a new day and each day I am greeted by dozens of smiling members of the town during my walk. Habari za asubuhi? (How are you this morning?) There is a group of volunteers from West Point and some ROTC volunteers so I've been joining them in their PT first thing in the morning. Some days we run, others we do ab work outs, or yoga. Whatever it is we do, we always feel more energized for the day ahead so it's certainly worth waking up for!
Prior to leaving FL, I emailed the high school cross country team I coach along with other coaches. The boys' cross country coach told me that he was sure any run I did in Africa would be memorable. That certainly has been the case as I've enjoyed sunrise and afternoon runs. One afternoon, a friend and I were running and I asked him how much farther he wanted to go before turning around. He nonchalantly pointed a good bit ahead and said, "We'll turn around at that hut." Of course this was comical because we were passing huts the entire way. Nonetheless, I'm sure the next time I'm on a long run I'll picture those huts instead of light posts. African sights will surely follow me in every race I do the rest of my life be it a training run or another marathon.
This morning(Tuesday- 12- July-2011) was a personal favorite morning as I woke up with six fellow volunteers at 5:40 to walk ten minutes to the beach and do our yoga session there. It was so calming to do standing strength to the sounds of the Indian Ocean. We went from warrior poses in the dark to sun salutations as the sun rose. We then sat peacefully in the sand to take in the beautiful sunrise with open eye meditation. I am slowly learning to let go of the fast pace western ways and embrace the slow life style in Africa. As we say in Swahili, "Pole, Pole." (Slowly, slowly)
And because it bears repeating, wherever you are...
"Think about what makes you happy,
how little it takes to smile,
and be grateful for ALL you have."
Monday, July 11, 2011
7/8-7/10 Safari!
"Live it, love, it, bleed it." "Love ya Lions!" Being the daughter of two Penn State alumni and the sister of another, I was born with a love for lions. While growing up I saw lions in zoos and of course there was the famous stuffed Nittany Lion in Paterno Library at Penn State. Yet there certainly is nothing like seeing lions a mere three feet away! The latter is what I did this weekend in Mikumi National Park. It was about a five hour drive from Bagamoyo to Mikumi which was an adventure itself complete with one of the land cruisers breaking down leading the seventeen of us to go from three vehicles to fitting in two vehicles. The third land cruiser was fixed by Saturday morning though and it was all worth it as we unexpectedly saw nocturnal lions right on the highway when driving on the main road through the park at 8pm on Friday evening.
Saturday, we woke up early to drive an additional two hours from the hotel at the edge of Mikukmi to Udzungwa Mountains National Park so we could start our day with a morning hike. We hiked to see the largest waterfall in Tanzania, which is 170 meters high. The view was breathtaking of the falls and also of the vast horizon out beyond us. While hiking we saw monkeys all through the trees and an array of various butterflies. We felt as though we were the ones on display as all the locals shouted, "Mzungas" as we drove by, meaning white people. Following lunch we drove back to Mikumi to begin our first safari. After a quick trip through the museum to read up on the animals we'd be seeing we reboarded the land cruiser with the top up so we could stand taking in all the beauty surrounding us. The first thing we spotted was impalas and our guide wouldn't stop to take pictures, insisting, "Impalas are like chocolate at the super market. You'll see plenty." They certainly were everywhere as we went on to see elephants, zebras, warthogs, giraffes, camels, and more! We did get to stop when it came time for sunset, which we watched at the Hippo Pool! While the four hour safari was incredible we were anxious to see lions again as we had Friday night but there were none to be found on Saturday.
Sunday morning, we woke up early for the sunrise safari, entering Mikumi first and beginning with the top closed as it was chilly enough to see your breath. Twice as many animals were out at sunrise and in large groups, including over twenty giraffes together. It was the coolest things to watch the giraffes sprint across in lines after one another. Once the sun had risen enough we took the top up to stand up and I must say my favorite part of the safari was being right in front with my arms spread open along the open paths of nature! Just when we were about to give up hope on seeing lions again we spotted five! We drove extremely close to watch them interact with one another and cross right in front of our land cruiser. I am loving being immersed completely in the land of Tanzania and now even more, I love those lions!
Saturday, we woke up early to drive an additional two hours from the hotel at the edge of Mikukmi to Udzungwa Mountains National Park so we could start our day with a morning hike. We hiked to see the largest waterfall in Tanzania, which is 170 meters high. The view was breathtaking of the falls and also of the vast horizon out beyond us. While hiking we saw monkeys all through the trees and an array of various butterflies. We felt as though we were the ones on display as all the locals shouted, "Mzungas" as we drove by, meaning white people. Following lunch we drove back to Mikumi to begin our first safari. After a quick trip through the museum to read up on the animals we'd be seeing we reboarded the land cruiser with the top up so we could stand taking in all the beauty surrounding us. The first thing we spotted was impalas and our guide wouldn't stop to take pictures, insisting, "Impalas are like chocolate at the super market. You'll see plenty." They certainly were everywhere as we went on to see elephants, zebras, warthogs, giraffes, camels, and more! We did get to stop when it came time for sunset, which we watched at the Hippo Pool! While the four hour safari was incredible we were anxious to see lions again as we had Friday night but there were none to be found on Saturday.
Sunday morning, we woke up early for the sunrise safari, entering Mikumi first and beginning with the top closed as it was chilly enough to see your breath. Twice as many animals were out at sunrise and in large groups, including over twenty giraffes together. It was the coolest things to watch the giraffes sprint across in lines after one another. Once the sun had risen enough we took the top up to stand up and I must say my favorite part of the safari was being right in front with my arms spread open along the open paths of nature! Just when we were about to give up hope on seeing lions again we spotted five! We drove extremely close to watch them interact with one another and cross right in front of our land cruiser. I am loving being immersed completely in the land of Tanzania and now even more, I love those lions!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Becoming "Madam" at Mwasama
"Madam, we need you to teach this class from now on. The previous teacher isn't coming back." These were the first words I heard this morning as I arrived to the second day of my volunteer placement at Mwasama Primary School.
To backtrack to my first day of placement, yesterday on Tuesday, I observed how the school works and spent time in the kindergarten, first, second, and third grade classrooms. There are just four teachers who work at the school, one teaching each grade. The classrooms are basic with open doors, no lights besides what comes in from the open windows, and only one chalkboard per room. The bathroom is a row of buckets in stone walls. In addition to the four classroom buildings there are two buildings of bunk beds for the parentless children(street children or orphans whose parents died of HIV/AIDS) who attend the school. The school is designed to help the children learn English so they are not suppose to speak in their native language while in school. Their textbooks(only the teacher actually has one) are written in English and they try very hard to use that English the best they can.
As I entered the gates yesterday to the school after signing in with the security guard I was immediately bombarded with hugs! Every child grabbed my hand and started singing a greeting song to me which starts with, "Welcome Madam" It was so precious to see how excited they were for my arrival. For the first two hours I helped the third grade teacher teach a math lesson on length and width. I then visited the Kindergarten classroom where I had all fourteen students hanging on me at once. At 10AM a bell rang for snack and all four rooms of kids emptied out with kids carrying their cups to get porridge. A student brought me chi to have with the Tanzanian version of doughnuts. I'm usually not a tea fan but I quickly found out I love Tanzanian tea! It is very sweet. I was surprised to learn that it is the norm for the teachers to sit and have their tea while the students play during this time. After half an hour of playtime the students go back into their classrooms as the teachers continue their tea in quiet. I told the other teachers how this would not be permitted in America as we are always supervising our students. The teachers at this school do not have a planning period though so I suppose it is the only small amount of time they have sans students. Following the tea break, I went to teach second grade for the rest of the morning. I helped with the English lesson teaching opposites. The teacher then asked me to step outside the room with her. She explained how difficult the day is for her since the school is shorthanded and asked me to teach a game so I taught the class Simon Says, which the students loved. At noon it was time for me to go back to the Cross Cultural Solutions home base for lunch and my own Swahili classes followed by other activities planned. The goal of Cross Cultural Solutions is cultural exchange so half my day is spent volunteering and the rest of it being immersed in the culture in other ways, such as visiting historic sites and participating in traditional dances.
Last night after the cross culture activities, I planned a matching game on opposites to use with the second grade class and devised a schedule of how I would spend my morning so I could work with all grades since the second grade teacher wanted me to teach English and it is at a different time each day. As a teacher, I've learned to overplan and then go with the flow. That was exactly what I had to do this morning when I was was ready to show the teachers my schedule and instead informed the third grade teacher I spent two hours with yesterday quit and would not be returning. There is a major shortage of teachers here in Bagamoyo so if I didn't happen to be there to help the teachers for my volunteer placement than the classes would have to be rearranged in some way. The third grade class of thirty students were happy to see me and immediately stood up to greet me by singing the "Welcome Madam" song as I entered. I grabbed a piece of chalk and began teaching for that's what I'm here to do. I must admit that piece of chalk quickly became four pieces as I discovered I am not used to writing in chalk. So while it took a few pieces of chalk I made it through day two and am excited for the rest of my days as Madam!
To backtrack to my first day of placement, yesterday on Tuesday, I observed how the school works and spent time in the kindergarten, first, second, and third grade classrooms. There are just four teachers who work at the school, one teaching each grade. The classrooms are basic with open doors, no lights besides what comes in from the open windows, and only one chalkboard per room. The bathroom is a row of buckets in stone walls. In addition to the four classroom buildings there are two buildings of bunk beds for the parentless children(street children or orphans whose parents died of HIV/AIDS) who attend the school. The school is designed to help the children learn English so they are not suppose to speak in their native language while in school. Their textbooks(only the teacher actually has one) are written in English and they try very hard to use that English the best they can.
As I entered the gates yesterday to the school after signing in with the security guard I was immediately bombarded with hugs! Every child grabbed my hand and started singing a greeting song to me which starts with, "Welcome Madam" It was so precious to see how excited they were for my arrival. For the first two hours I helped the third grade teacher teach a math lesson on length and width. I then visited the Kindergarten classroom where I had all fourteen students hanging on me at once. At 10AM a bell rang for snack and all four rooms of kids emptied out with kids carrying their cups to get porridge. A student brought me chi to have with the Tanzanian version of doughnuts. I'm usually not a tea fan but I quickly found out I love Tanzanian tea! It is very sweet. I was surprised to learn that it is the norm for the teachers to sit and have their tea while the students play during this time. After half an hour of playtime the students go back into their classrooms as the teachers continue their tea in quiet. I told the other teachers how this would not be permitted in America as we are always supervising our students. The teachers at this school do not have a planning period though so I suppose it is the only small amount of time they have sans students. Following the tea break, I went to teach second grade for the rest of the morning. I helped with the English lesson teaching opposites. The teacher then asked me to step outside the room with her. She explained how difficult the day is for her since the school is shorthanded and asked me to teach a game so I taught the class Simon Says, which the students loved. At noon it was time for me to go back to the Cross Cultural Solutions home base for lunch and my own Swahili classes followed by other activities planned. The goal of Cross Cultural Solutions is cultural exchange so half my day is spent volunteering and the rest of it being immersed in the culture in other ways, such as visiting historic sites and participating in traditional dances.
Last night after the cross culture activities, I planned a matching game on opposites to use with the second grade class and devised a schedule of how I would spend my morning so I could work with all grades since the second grade teacher wanted me to teach English and it is at a different time each day. As a teacher, I've learned to overplan and then go with the flow. That was exactly what I had to do this morning when I was was ready to show the teachers my schedule and instead informed the third grade teacher I spent two hours with yesterday quit and would not be returning. There is a major shortage of teachers here in Bagamoyo so if I didn't happen to be there to help the teachers for my volunteer placement than the classes would have to be rearranged in some way. The third grade class of thirty students were happy to see me and immediately stood up to greet me by singing the "Welcome Madam" song as I entered. I grabbed a piece of chalk and began teaching for that's what I'm here to do. I must admit that piece of chalk quickly became four pieces as I discovered I am not used to writing in chalk. So while it took a few pieces of chalk I made it through day two and am excited for the rest of my days as Madam!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Safe & sound in Africa!
I'm here and everything is amazing thus far. I went for a run as the sun was rising this morning with another volunteer and told her I felt like we were running through a movie set. Obviously, not a glamorous one as we ran by people living in huts, but it just still feels unreal to be in Africa. Here's a quick recap of the past days:
Friday/ Saturday= Travel:
-After enjoying seeing Spiderman on Broadway Thursday night and spending time with friends in NYC, I took the subway to JFK on Saturday morning.
-My first flight was almost eleven hours but went by quick as we were served three full meals that I enjoyed between reading, movies, and sleeping.
-I had a three hour layover in Dubai, which is the most ornate airport I've ever seen.
-The second flight was about six hours and there ended up being another volunteer in my group who joined the one volunteer and I who flew out of JFK.
-The flight landed on time and the three of us, filled out our paperwork, and then got our baggage and met four other volunteers who had arrived earlier.
-During the flights I met quite a few people venturing to Africa for various reasons. There was a large high school group of kids going to volunteer in Kenya. During the layover I made friends with a girl from Germany who was going to Tanzania to volunteer in a hospital. I also met a guy from Austria who was coming to Tanzania to work on a farm for eight weeks, along with a few Americans coming simply to vacation.
-Due to traffic it took about two and half hours to get from the airport to Bagamoyo where we were greeted by the rest of our volunteer group and enjoyed a delicious dinner! There are seventeen total volunteers in the group who are all wonderful people. The staff here at Cross Cultural Solutions is also extremely friendly and welcoming.
We had a busy day of exploring historical sites today but there's too much of that to write now. So for now, lala salama! (sleep well)
Friday/ Saturday= Travel:
-After enjoying seeing Spiderman on Broadway Thursday night and spending time with friends in NYC, I took the subway to JFK on Saturday morning.
-My first flight was almost eleven hours but went by quick as we were served three full meals that I enjoyed between reading, movies, and sleeping.
-I had a three hour layover in Dubai, which is the most ornate airport I've ever seen.
-The second flight was about six hours and there ended up being another volunteer in my group who joined the one volunteer and I who flew out of JFK.
-The flight landed on time and the three of us, filled out our paperwork, and then got our baggage and met four other volunteers who had arrived earlier.
-During the flights I met quite a few people venturing to Africa for various reasons. There was a large high school group of kids going to volunteer in Kenya. During the layover I made friends with a girl from Germany who was going to Tanzania to volunteer in a hospital. I also met a guy from Austria who was coming to Tanzania to work on a farm for eight weeks, along with a few Americans coming simply to vacation.
-Due to traffic it took about two and half hours to get from the airport to Bagamoyo where we were greeted by the rest of our volunteer group and enjoyed a delicious dinner! There are seventeen total volunteers in the group who are all wonderful people. The staff here at Cross Cultural Solutions is also extremely friendly and welcoming.
We had a busy day of exploring historical sites today but there's too much of that to write now. So for now, lala salama! (sleep well)
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
WHERE I'll be living/ volunteering
"She ran ahead where there were no paths." -Dorthy Parker
The biggest questions I've had have been about where I'm living and where I'll be volunteering. I know I felt a lot better when I saw pictures to answer these questions myself so here's a glimpse of what my life will be like for the next month.
1. Living- my home for the month of July:
Part of the program fee to volunteer for Cross Cultural Solutions goes towards making sure all volunteers are safe while at the home base. The sixteen other volunteers and I will be staying in this home base where bottled water is provided and essential mosquito nets to sleep under!
2. Volunteering- my volunteer placement:
I will be volunteering at Mwasama Primary School. Here is the detailed information provided to me by Cross Cultural Solutions. I am greatly looking forward to working with the faculty at Mwasama and helping to educate the children of Bagamoyo!
The biggest questions I've had have been about where I'm living and where I'll be volunteering. I know I felt a lot better when I saw pictures to answer these questions myself so here's a glimpse of what my life will be like for the next month.
1. Living- my home for the month of July:
Part of the program fee to volunteer for Cross Cultural Solutions goes towards making sure all volunteers are safe while at the home base. The sixteen other volunteers and I will be staying in this home base where bottled water is provided and essential mosquito nets to sleep under!
2. Volunteering- my volunteer placement:
I will be volunteering at Mwasama Primary School. Here is the detailed information provided to me by Cross Cultural Solutions. I am greatly looking forward to working with the faculty at Mwasama and helping to educate the children of Bagamoyo!
Mwasama Primary School
School: Teaching Children and Assisting Teachers
General Information
Mission and Needs of the Partner Program
The mission of this primary school is to prepare the children of the Bagamoyo region with basic knowledge and skills they will need to attend secondary school.
Because of the low economic standards of this town, the quality of education has fallen tremendously beyond limits. The owner of Mwasama Primary School is a teacher by profession and a parent; she felt a duty to join the government in the effort to eradicate ignorance (illiteracy) and thus reduce poverty. After a trial period of one and a half years, starting in 1998, she discovered that orphans and children from poor families are capable of schooling, but lack funds to help them beyond Secondary Education.
This is a private school. It is situated one kilometer outside the historical town of Bagamoyo. All subjects are taught in English (except Swahili) as this is an English medium school. There are 22 staff members, 10 of which are non-teaching staff, and 389 students. Out of 389 registered pupils, 17 are parentless children (street children or orphans whose parents died of HIV/AIDS).
Volunteer Activities/Duties
-Teach English, mathematics, reading, and writing
-Teach sports, games and songs, arts and crafts
-Help assess the development and progress of students (help create testing procedures)
-Organize projects and activities for the children
-Work with the teacher to develop primary school activities and materials that can be used for years to come(using creativity to create things with little supplies and modern equipment)
-Participate in cultural exchange with the children and teachers.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Packing: a.k.a. "You'll be fine"
"The overdressed traveler betrays more interest in being seen than in seeing, while the true traveler knows that the novel world about her serves as the most appropriate accessory." -Gregory Maguire, Wicked
No make up. No jewelry. One would think packing to volunteer in a third world country is quite simple. In fact I've always prided myself in being a low maintenance traveler. I usually pack hours before getting on a plane. I never check bags. I flew to NYC for two weeks with just a carry on. I backpacked through five countries of Europe sans anything fancy with just what fit on my back three years ago.
In the past week, I've learned quick traveling to Africa certainly isn't comparable to traveling anywhere in America or Europe. So how does one begin to pack for a whole month in Africa? I started with the following packing list from Cross Cultural Solutions, which I have carried around like Linus and his blanket.
Secondly, while packing you consult friends, lots of them. Anyone who knows me knows I avoid malls like the plague. Kath coaxed me to the outlets by saying we'd go for biking supplies and made it her goal to get me prepared for Africa. My mom also deserves kudos for exploring stores such as Gander Mountain in search of the strongest bug spray and a safari hat of course! My parents being the wonderful parents they are helped make sure that the bathroom cabinet of medical supplies accompanies me to Africa!
My CCS Program Director Katie along with my friends Erin, Kim C, Kim D, Hannah, and Jessie have been my Africa consultants since they've all been there themselves. Every little tidbit helped such as avoid wearing blue which attracts more bugs! Kristin lent me her awesome backpack again. My friend Melanie, let me go "borrowing" in her house where she taught me all the secret wonders for long flights such as a blow up pillow to help with my 21 hour flight. She also stressed how vital compression bags are which do work wonders!
Lastly, while I'm excited to try the local cuisine in Bagamoyo I needed to pack some comfort foods!
I think this blog makes packing look a lot easier than it has been. I admit it's scary to think that in just a few days I'm traveling alone far away from home to sleep under a mosquito net for a month. However, in my running/biking group we have a simple motto that is, "You'll be fine." It's what I was told before I ran my first 26.2 miles. I was told it again while frustrated during the final miles of an 84 mile bike ride. While it doesn't always feel like it, I always am "fine." In fact, I know I'll be better than fine for great adventure takes great risk.
So my bags are packed and I'm focusing on the words of Edward Abbey, an environmental activist who said, "May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view."
No make up. No jewelry. One would think packing to volunteer in a third world country is quite simple. In fact I've always prided myself in being a low maintenance traveler. I usually pack hours before getting on a plane. I never check bags. I flew to NYC for two weeks with just a carry on. I backpacked through five countries of Europe sans anything fancy with just what fit on my back three years ago.
In the past week, I've learned quick traveling to Africa certainly isn't comparable to traveling anywhere in America or Europe. So how does one begin to pack for a whole month in Africa? I started with the following packing list from Cross Cultural Solutions, which I have carried around like Linus and his blanket.
Secondly, while packing you consult friends, lots of them. Anyone who knows me knows I avoid malls like the plague. Kath coaxed me to the outlets by saying we'd go for biking supplies and made it her goal to get me prepared for Africa. My mom also deserves kudos for exploring stores such as Gander Mountain in search of the strongest bug spray and a safari hat of course! My parents being the wonderful parents they are helped make sure that the bathroom cabinet of medical supplies accompanies me to Africa!
My CCS Program Director Katie along with my friends Erin, Kim C, Kim D, Hannah, and Jessie have been my Africa consultants since they've all been there themselves. Every little tidbit helped such as avoid wearing blue which attracts more bugs! Kristin lent me her awesome backpack again. My friend Melanie, let me go "borrowing" in her house where she taught me all the secret wonders for long flights such as a blow up pillow to help with my 21 hour flight. She also stressed how vital compression bags are which do work wonders!
Lastly, while I'm excited to try the local cuisine in Bagamoyo I needed to pack some comfort foods!
I think this blog makes packing look a lot easier than it has been. I admit it's scary to think that in just a few days I'm traveling alone far away from home to sleep under a mosquito net for a month. However, in my running/biking group we have a simple motto that is, "You'll be fine." It's what I was told before I ran my first 26.2 miles. I was told it again while frustrated during the final miles of an 84 mile bike ride. While it doesn't always feel like it, I always am "fine." In fact, I know I'll be better than fine for great adventure takes great risk.
So my bags are packed and I'm focusing on the words of Edward Abbey, an environmental activist who said, "May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view."
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