White. Female.

For those of you who followed my roadtrip blog last year you’ll be familiar with the staccato 2 word title. I’ve been thinking alot lately about what it means to be a white female in this country. Specifically I’ve been thinking of the dichotomy which arrises when it comes to transportation. My skin is associated with money in this former British territory or with work in the mines as I spend time in Solwezi or Copperbelt. My foreignness is a novelty to drivers, which has thus fostered a strong mentality in my mind of expecting to (eventually) be picked by some vehicle when I’m on the side of the road. Why is a white girl standing in the sun in the middle of nowhere?! I can get rides from well-maintained land rovers, cell phone maintenence vans, or at least a truck hauling lumber. These rides are almost always free, and to my chagrin, sometimes ahead of other hitchers.
When I want to travel, I don’t have to risk tempting fate and suffering the possible breakdowns of endlessly long rides on public transport. I have taken plenty of minibusses, yes, but as a last resort. I don’t mind chickens as a seatmate, but it’s the slow pace and unreliability I don’t enjoy.
So far the best example was the other day when I barely waited until being picked by a nice SUV. The second SUV I rode in had connections at the stadium so I didn’t pay to get into the football match either. Aside: I feel alot of people managed free tickets anyhow. So I snagged free rides, a ticket, a hat, and a free beer, mostly due to my demographic.
But the voice which speaks of the fundamental ideals I’m driven by wonders if instead of Enjoying those freebies, I was Exploiting. So much of be is made up of a desire to be in solidarity with the rest of my community and what if using free rides are just a slap in the face of solidarity? None of my neighbors in my village, including the sick headman, can get a car to stop as easy as I can. They sit and wait on the minibus which comes through the village sometime between 13 and 15 hrs and might have space at that. They will definitely charge you. It needs mentioning that I can run the risk even after 8 months of being overcharged and or harassed while on the bus so they’re avoided as much as possible So that’s my current struggle – how much can I enter into solidarity with people I love when there will always be some disconnects? Truthfully, the extras we accept are out of appreciating Zambian generosity and hospitality. As well, I rarely tire of meeting new people on the road and sharing stories/cultures. IShout out to the CCSJ: I haven’t forgotten the 6 other pillars, never fear!
I did have a really great time at the match regardless of internal struggles and the magnificent skill of the Egyptian goalkeeper. We lost 0-1 but the Chipolopolo boys played very well. Rebecka: I got a shirt for you!
So until next time, keep those letters coming! I’d love some fun sticker to jazz up my plain black rubber boots! I got some yesterday for field work in the upcoming rainy season. The rains here sound intense; I could spend the next 6 months perpetually wet. I’ll make sure my faithful audience is kept up to date.

losing kgs in KB by riding kms

Ba Charity modeling THE HAT

[caption id="attachment_118" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Ba Christine modelling THE HAT"][/caption]

Christopher modelling THE HAT

[caption id="attachment_120" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Me modelling THE HAT"][/caption]

Ba Roida, Ba Charity, me

[caption id="attachment_122" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Parade of Mukanda boys"][/caption]

Me holding one of my fave kids

[caption id="attachment_123" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Inside view of my house"][/caption]I’ll begin this blog entry with a reason to be jealous of me. Last weekend my village held a funeral for a distant cousin. These turn into 5-day vigils where everyone makes an appearance to express their condolences and many join the close family and sleep outside – an act of community/solidarity. Well I joined the somber party one night and don’t think I’ll soon forget the experience of joining in the singing of the simple melancholy songs until I couldn’t keep my eyes open and the songs lulled me to sleep.
For balance, I’ll follow with a reason to not envy my life. The other day I co-facilitated a quite successful cooking demo with a counterpart and the women’s club. This was aimed at promoting better nutrution etc through new recipes. The soya milk recipe aimed especially to ‘plant’ the idea in some women’s heads of the advantages of planting soya beans. I’d love to see more farmers growing soya beans this year. Anyhow, by the tasting portion I mistook groundnut – peanut – milk for soya milk. So trust me when I say biking some 13 km after retching everything you ate that day to fulfill your promise of reaching town to see friends isn’t a fun activity. I made it to town, but my lunch stayed in the village. But I’ve recovered from my silly mistake so don’t worry my faithful audience!
Other Env/Agriculture programs this month have gone well. My Env. Education club is fledgling, but all are enjoying it, and it’s only suffering the normal setbacks. I received a postitive report on a farmer’s vegetables after I taught him and some others a natural fertilizer method. That was very exciting! I was also invited to a fellow PCVs community to co-faciliatate a meeting about soil fertility with some Zambians who also work with agriculture. Hopefully we’ll have some success and some farmers will plant the agroforestry tree species we gave. While visiting said lovely PCV, we saw the Kabompo river and the boats which cross it. The Lozis, a tribe mostly in Western Province, have some incredible skill and carve long solid canoes out of one tree. Check Carrie’s blog or FB eventually for pictures. Thed river flows closer to her house then mine, but soon I plan to bike there.
Two other highlights of my month were seeing the end of the Mukanda ceremony and an impromptu modelling show/photo shoot. My neighbors had a ball dressing up and posing for my camera. I channeled your skill Kristen and showed them how models ‘walk’ in America. I’m excited to print them as thank yous to my neighbors for watering my garden and taking care of Captain while I travel. Sure beats candy. Who’s Captain? My hen! Oh, Captain, my Captain. She’s laying eggs, so hopefully soon I’ll have some baby chicks and some extras to eat.
Mukanda was a great experience too. This is a ceremony where boys about 8 years old or so spend a month in the bush learning to be men and getting circumcised. Their return is an occasion for a huge party. We brewed monkoyo like there was no tomorrow and danced and sang all night long. Well some of us couldn’t keep our eyes open so we took a quick nap then got back out there. About 8 am the 5 boys were paraded in on shoulders, and hidden under kitenges. Some money had to be gifted to them before they were even uncovered. Everyone in turn gave the boys some congratulatory money, even me. This is a big point in a boys life and each seems to announce with pride the year they went. All were dressed in snazzy new dress shirts and enjoyed their special day. The general merrymaking continued until early afternoon and included a feast of nshima and a chicken yours truly killed. Whew! Exhausting, but I felt amazing to be able to have experienced it.
Ok so that’s it for now, keep those letters coming! Ok, I know the title is silly, but it’s true. I rode about 140 km one week this month, and have lost some weight according to the clinic scale, and my village can be abbrev’d KB. Promise a better title next time.

Napwisha IST

Another blog update already- YES! Just a short one but I wanted to take advantage of the one place in the country I can get free internet; PC headquarters! We’ve finishedour 10 day long IST but I am currently in town one extra day to handle bank errands which can’t be managed from the bush I call home. We had success and will be traveling home tomorrow thanks to the generosity of whomever we meet along the road. Shouldn’t have much trouble; I love the adventure that is hitchhiking. Even if the adventure is 13 hours long and I’m likely to injest a kg of Zambian dust and hang with whatever goods are being transported!
So our training was a good time; to be together as our intake and collaborate, to have somewhat of a break, and to revisit some more agriculture things. It was an intense two weeks also – imagine being again with a ton of Americans after being the only one for kilometers. I’m still processing some things I’ve been thinking further about while in town again. For instance, I’ve struggled with being thrown back into an urban setting and seeing such disparity between lives in Mufumbwe and in parts of Lusaka.
Some quick anecdotes from IST: permagardens and permaculture! I began to learn about such great things in the states but our training had a great workshop where we dug and planted one as a group. It’s basically a method of gardening which is extra-sustainable and makes the most out of the space and all available water. Ours even includes a banana and orange tree. Also had a chance to hit the best area of Lusaka for kitenges and now that every female in our intake is addicted to sewing with scraps, we hunted down a huge bag of amazing scraps. Anyone for a hand-sewn quilt?! Really, I have the time, I’m planning on one. That is if I don’t become addicted to this rediculous game on the replacement phone I bought! Stay tuned.
The sad news is that our training overlapped with the makishi festival I’d planned on attending so that will have to wait until next year. Thinking now about visiting Vic Falls around Christmas. I’m also anticipating another update mid-September? Please pencil in a date with your computer to read said update.

p.s. Check out: Carrie in Africa, Zambia I go, and Zamboozaled blogs on the right. Those 3 also live around Mufumbwe and they’ll give you a more well-rounded idea of life in Mufumbwe. Carrie has an especially interesting post of the history of the tribal cousinships in our province.

Explaining the Unexplainable

Me and tara on my birthday

[caption id="attachment_103" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Ba Alice baking buns"][/caption]

Baby Yeka

Forgive me for not updating in such a long time, I haven’t even seen a computer in 10 weeks now.  We’re just now finishing our initial period of community integration, so all village all the time.  Sometimes all village too much of the time. 

Maybe this will shed some light on why I chose the title I did: I would love to enter my community here in Mufumbwe to win both most amazing and most absolutely nuts.  Sometimes I want to do both in the same day.  There’s really no way to adequately explain live as a Zambian PCV but to tell you to become one too. 

My days are essentially experience after experience which give me insights into the subtle minutae of Zambian culture and into myself.  For example, Zambian time doesn’t hold the same meaning; not even a meeting’s chairperson will show up on time.  Then it takes time to build up the endurance for perpetually greeting people on the 12km bike ride to town.  The 12km is no problem, I love the good ride, but children are relentless.  Screaming, foreigner how are you?.  And if I answer, then thay are thus encouraged to ask again.  But just the past few weeks saw me manage; in June I would get annoyed at 5km or so!  Now it’s just my 15 minutes of fame time or a million affirmations of my individuality- gotta love that. 

So I think most of the most interesting anecdotes have gone out in my mother’s  updates.  I don’t want to repeat too much then.  My replacing the previous Volunteer was a unique situation where he was still in the country  so was able to visit for a last goodbye a few weeks back.  The women’s club threw him a huge party, for which I helped brew the monkoyo.  This is the maize meal drink for special occasions, an aquired taste, and a wholee day adventure to brew.  Helping the women almost all day do each step was a personal highlight of my month.  It was so special to just spend time w/ them and let them enjoy teaching me each step.  Monkoyo gets its unique taste from the root soaked overnight.  So yes, even me, I went into the bush to dig up this root.  I had a blast even though identifying where to dig was impossible for my eyes but second nature to my Zambian companion.  So the next day I had a profound respect for the process while enjoying glass after glass. 

I thoroughly enojyedthe chance to glean some insights from the other Volunteer.  To his mother: I wouldn’t be surprised after hearing alot about you, if you’d found my blog.  So hello! And hello from the village!

Hm, what else?  I spend time attending alot of meetings as I am invited as a mover-and-shaker of the community, yet the Kiikaonde is too fast for me.  I’m not as lost as I used to be, but I still have a long way to go.  Environment work wise, I have talked to a few groups in the past weeks about different gardening techniques.  Just the other day i lead a small demo with a counterpart on one natural fertilizer method.  That means I prepped by gathering various animal dung from around my village.  Yep, you might prep for work by writing reports or whatever, but I collect poop!  Be jealous!  I’m also excited to see where my env. education club goes when the next school term starts next month.  My garden suffered a small setback the other day thanks to the insatiable stomachs of my neighbor’s goats.  It’ll bounce back, and most is still ok actually.  I’m immeasurably proud of my garden.  I have the first flowers on my tomato plants – ones I started from seeds! 

So this 2 weeks of extra training should be fun. AAfterwards a few of us are planning on going to a  festival in Zambezi.  Google map for reference as to where that town is. I’m really looking forward to my first travel excursion. 

Keep the letters coming – I love hearing what everyone’s up to.  Small anecdotes about food:  I bet no one else gets freshly baked bread from their neighbor with local honey for breakfast!  And did you see the chicken who layed the egg you’re eating? Ok, neither did I.  But soon I will, I’m planning for chickens of my own as I write.  Hopefully more chicken detais in the near future.  Grandma: I thought of you the other day when I cooked the most delicious vegetable soup in the village.  SOOO good. 

Final shout-outs to Brittany for sending the unexpected magazine and Becky Sue for the anklet.  Good luck to everyone (in my hopefully expansive audience) who starts a new semester or school program just about now.   

Mataba, Nkinga, Byepi Mwane, Mfwaiyo

These words define my days as a new Volunteer, I swear.  Byepi Mwane is a greeting I must say a million times a day to anyone and everyone I meet on the road.  I must say mfwaiyo -I don’t have- just as much to the army of children who rush me for sweeties.  So it’s about 11:30 Thurs 28 May as  Iwrite this in prep for posting this weekend.  At least a dz. kids are playing a ruleless game and I’m sitting in the shade watching.  So 5-ish weeks at site so far, and seriously, wonders never cease.  Everyday I learn more things than are conceivable.  How to harnest maize (and carry it on your head!), that goats get dizzy after you fling them around by a leg, and Larry London is a Volunteers best friend.  I helped my neighbors harvest their maize (mataba) a few weeks ago then carried some on my head for the few km back.  I am woman! Just last week was the Great De-kerneling Adventure.  That was an all week adventure too.  However, due to the harvest being unfinished some children miss school (the amount of missed school blows my mind).  Larry London hosts a music request programme on shortwave radio which I love.

Getting to know my neighbors, trying to attend mtngs of any sort to get out the word of the new Volunteer, and slowly eradicating termites from my house has taken up 5 weeks.  However, there are an infinitessimal number of reasons to cancel a mtng in Zambia so many are cancelled.  I get frustrated, bc it’s people I wanted to meet, but thankfully I’m reassured daily that things will come, pacheche pacheche, little by little. 

Belga is a household name in my community – it’s the company paving the road.  The mothers bounce babies while saying Belga, Belga! I’m quite a celebrity too with the workforce.  Madam, how are you Madam?!  :whistle: are constants as I ride by on my nkinga – bicycle.  I’ve averaged maybe 90-100 a week so far? 

Last weekend all the PCVs in the district got together for a traditional wedding.  A fellow PCV married a great Zambian woman. Such a fun experience, esp. b/c we all learned as we went – groom included.  There’s a dowry to be paid, then the official search for the bride.  Everyone in Zambia seemed to have come too.  There is a comfortable lack of formality in social functions which I quite like about Zambia. Invitation what?  The bride can’t smile all day to respect her family which she is symbolically leaving.  The official ceremony las lots of speeches, traditional dances by talented girls, and munkoyo for the honored guests.  This is a cornmeal drink made in 50-gal drums for any special occasion.  So much fun to experience the culture ceremony, and a good roundtrip bike ride. 

It’s now Friday night as I finish writing.  This is the season (after harvest) for ag shows, so I went to a local one today at a PCV neighbor’s village.  I plan to be at the district show in a few weeks to demo what an env. Volunteer can do and hopefully meet alot of people.  Looking forward to it.  Also looking forward to to b-day as the annual chief’s festival is the same day.  Keep the letters coming – esp with news clippings.  I also really enjoy pictures or good social justice-y bumper stickers.  Get everything out of your international stamp! Well, I want an orange, so I’m going to finish this up so I can go pick one off the tree my my house.  Yep, it’s that easy. 

So picture 1 is my house in the village!  Yay, my first house of my own!  and 2 is from our feast we cooked on the last day we were Trainees .  See me in my lovely kitenge dress?!  Indended to have a better picture but I had a technical issue stay tuned.

I do solemnly swear…

So this is the night before posting – that means tomorrow I will move in to my village as a sworn in PCV. 35 of us became official Volunteers last Friday morning at a lovely ceremony at the Ambassadors in Lusaka.   This involved us really standing and repeating the same oath as  Obama (except I wont execute the office of the President…)  I wore a kitenge dress I had tailoried and am very proud of, and I was asked to give the Kikaonde part of our speech.  Actually, the zipper on the skirt was poor quality, and 10 minutes before, it totally broke!  Thanks AK for those safety pins @ Christmas – they were a lifesaver. 

So tomorrow I will move to my village in Mufumbwe district.  (time for Google maps!) No, not the same district I think I wrote before.   I am 2nd generation (meaning 1 PCV before me) and am really thrilled to finally be moving in and getting to know my neighbors and my way around.  Yes, I will be still using a kimbusu, bucket bath, and will be carrying all my own water.  My water is actually quite close or I might have to bribe the little iwes (kids) to help! 

So: now please mail all those letters and packages of yummy stuff to: 

Beth Dickey/PCV

POBox 130050

Mufumbwe, Zambia Africa.

Skype will work too -it’s the cheapest way to call. Country Code: 260 my number: 0976665957 There’s actually a funny story w/ my phone but you’ll have to call or write to hear about it!

Sorry, there are no pictures, but I will try in my next post, which should be early June. We are in the community entry phase for the next 3 months, but I will be coming to Solwezi, the capital of NW province, in June for our bi-yearly meeting.
Training was very good, but sometimes VERY slow. Nevertheless I enjoyed myself. My host family was great -my brother just called this evening to say hi actually. They were a huge help in my learning Kaonde. 2 days before our swearing-in we held a great cultural ceremony for all of our families and cooked massive amounts of American food to share with them. Good times.
Ok, so I am finishing this so I can not push my internet luck. Thanks for all the letters – keep writing! For reference, flat rate boxes are the best deal, and I will take any old magazines, food that is just-add-water, spices, and pictures of you doing fun things. Don’t forget captions! I have alot of wall space in my hut!

bmjd

The Real Africa!

First post from Zambia – the real Africa!  Today is day 23 in-country and our training group got an un-expected trip to the big city to use the internet and eat dairy.   That’s the entirety of my goals for the day.  First off, things are going really well.  We arrived without problems to Lusaka airport with a cheering welcome from some current Volunteers.  Few days later we went in small groups to visit current PCVs.  I visited one in Southern Province (google a map to reference this and future place names!) which is the heart of Tongaland.  Beautiful area, but none of my current group will be posted their.    The visit was great though for re-confirming my desire to be here.  Returning to Lusaka was the next big day b/c we learned our language assignments and moved in with our host families for our 2 months of training.  I was placed with 2 other LIFE (my environment program) trainees to learn Kikaonde.  This means the language of the Kaonde people, and in my case automatically meant that my permanent placement will be the the NW province of ZAMBIA!!  (now is another good time to google a map)

This is the land of pineapples, the longest rainy season, and many other great things I’m sure I will learn to love.  Others in my LIFE group are learning a second language which places them in Eastern province, and the majority are learning Bemba and will go to either Central or Luapula (land of the lakes).  So the three of us were the smallest group.  THEN, midway during our second language class we became a language class of 2.  Thanks to my disclaimer on the right column I can say that the PC sometimes seems to be too beaurocratic for its own good.  Someone in Washington didn’t pass the right papers to someone else in Zambia and 2 weeks into service someone was separated for a medical reason.  This should’ve been seen sooner b/c it will take time for this person to get re-invited somewhere else.  Yet life goes on.

So my host family is great.  I would have some pictures but then how would I keep up my readership?  Suspense!  Really, I forgot it in my hut.  I have my own perfect little hut (about 10×12), a kimbusu (pit latrine), and bathing shelter.  Here’s the non PG section:  Yes,  a pit latrine is literally a hole covering the deep pit.  Toilet seats are for the weak!   I have hot bucket baths which are stellar, but washing your hair takes skill.  Alot of skill.  Back to PG.   My host parents and older brother know the most Kikaonde to help me, but the younger nieces and nephew speak mostly another language.  They understand enough and love to laugh at me.  I don’t think there’s enough space on the blog to explain how hard they laughed at my first attempt to dance the other night.  Zambians, especially females of any age can just move it!  In good time, I’ll learn.

Food is good but most of us hit the low point of adjusting this week.  Thank goodness for yoghurt today.  As I wrote before I think, the staple is a cornmeal ball with relishes like sauteed vegetables.  Whole cobs of roasted corn are delicious!  I’ve been eating alot of soya pieces which are my protein and it’s not a problem at all to stay veggie.  I have had some chicken – this is culturally always served as a guest’s first meal, and some goat which is a story for later.

So, I’m wrapping up, but keep those letters coming ::hint, hint::  I am working on some myself.  The address above ^ is still where you should send all letters and packages, and I will have another in NW province later.  Overall, I personally can’t imagine not being a LIFE Volunteer in Zambia.

“…auf wiedersehn, good-bye…”

Know that cheesy song?  “All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go…”  Well, that’s too long of a blog title or I’d have used it.  I’m headed out tomorrow morning, so I wanted to reiterate some last things with the blog. 

*  As much as it is anticipated, don’t look for any updates for the first few months.  The first 9 weeks in-country is training.   This is language, environmental, cross-cultural, HIV-AIDS and a million other things.  This means I will be uber-busy and occupied.  When one is saving the world, there’s  no time to blog!  Just kidding, this is really a due to resource availability, and moreso; to facilitate becoming integrated into our host-families’ lives and the beginning of our lives in Zambia.  The best I can offer is excerpts from letters I write to the ‘rents. 

Speaking of letters!  This is the way you can communicate with me!  This is absolutely the best way during my training to tell me news about your life.  This will probably be best during my whole time in-country.  ^^^ The bar at the top has a tab “contact Beth”.  My address is there, and will be updated when necessary.

Well, in summary, I am ready to go, excited, and nervous at the same time.  I’ve waited for a long time, really want this, but it’s all going to be different.  Beth-the-meteorologist is especially excited for the new climate and weather!  (::cough:: that’s for you all on the 5th floor of Hixson-Lied!)  For those of you reading from the CCSJ – check out the pictures down in the corner – I definitely made sure to pack my journal!

One last thing you should be jealous of – when we are sworn in as official Volunteers, we say the same oath the President does.  “…against all enemies, foreign and domestic…”

–bmjd

Solidarity

Well, the Farewell Tour has ended, the Farewell Party guests have gone, so all that’s left is the farewell.  And the nagging feeling that something is missing from my blog.  My pre-departure thoughts are missing.  I’ve only really written about tangible cameras, backpacks, and solar chargers (albeit a really fantastic one) and this relative superficiality bugs me.  I haven’t thought about the intangible too much with all the last minute to-do lists.  What things to pack and what forms still need filling-out is all I know (know being almost synonymous with can control) right now and all I can write about.  This is the side-effect of the ‘Peace Corps Adventure’;  there are alot of unknowns.  Don’t get me wrong, I love and am really excited for the Adventure.  But I want this blog to be more.  I want to also dig into what’s deeper.  That’s where this title comes from, my recent thoughts on my aspirations of achieving some measure of solidarity with Zambians during my service.  To know and be equally involved in their joys and struggles as individuals and as a country.   I was fortunate enough to be able to reaffirm this to myself while visiting and talking with great friends and inspirational people at my beloved Creighton. 

The 2nd and 3rd goals of the Peace Corps should facilitate this.  2: To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of peoples served.  3: To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of all Americans.  (The first is: To help the people of interested countries to meet their development goals by meeting their needs for trained women and men). 

So I hope to be able to convey both my experiences and my reflections with this blog.  If you don’t like this plan, blame those dang Jesuits!  Those Jesuit values will really ruin you for life!  Men And Women For And With Others, anyone?

bmjd

We’re really leaving Kansas, Toto.

What will you be doing Feb 17th at 11:06 am?   I will be on a plane leaving the great Hoosier state for adventures unparalleled!   US Airways will take me to Washington DC, where our staging event is held.  This is paperwork, shots, “welcome to the Peace Corps”, and other important necessities.  This is where the entire Zambia Feb ‘09 group will first meet each other.  Maybe 2 dozen or so? 

THEN! 540pm on Feb 18th we all board a South African Airways flight.  (History lesson: I flew SAA in 2007 and ‘borrowed’ their handy travel-sized utensils they serve with their meals.)  This flight is LONG.  We’ll arrive 16-17 hours later in Johannesburg, South Africa after a stop in Dakar, Senegal for fuel.  Yay, Senegal! Then a smaller flight will take us back north to the capital of Zambia, Lusaka. 

I have to run of course straight from the airport to staging – thanks government! (Note the disclaimer to the right  —>)  Luckily, this not the only thing leaving me stressed out.  My to-do list is a bit overwhelming right now, but manageable.  Credit cards to cancel, millions of forms, loans to defer, cleaning, packing, packing away the rest.   

Oh!  Almost forgot – I’ve gotten a new camera.  What’s cooler is that I’ve gotten a portable solar charger for my camera!   It’s 3 flip-out solar panels,  which are currently recharging in my window while I blog.  Check out  —> Solio.com  (I got the classic model)  It takes some extra cords, but it’s so fabulous to rely on renewable energy to power something I own.  In just a few weeks my carbon footprint will be almost non-existent!  (Hehe - let’s just ignore the plane ride)   Volunteers in Zambia almost always live in communities without electricity or running water, so this is the way to power the camera.  Other questions about Zambia?  Let me know. 

Lastly, I’m leaving tomorrow-ish for my official Farewell Tour.  Ports-o-call: Des Moines, home of a lovely fellow Creighton alum who’s giving me a ride as she returns from the Inauguration.  Next is Omaha, the home of my (snif) old college days.  I can’t wait to see the changes to campus, and visit missed friends, professors, etc.  (etc being my favorite bars!) Then, Chicago, to see the crazy-girl-who-shares-my-last-name.  My sister is graciously hosting me for a while, and taking me to a few museums we discovered were free.  I’ll return to Indiana in time for a dentist appointment on the 4th of Feb. 

The official Farewell Party is Feb 8th.  You’re invited. 

-B