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
I am proud to have you call our couch home for the next couple days!
Don’t worry, I will be a regular blog-reader. It’s an honor to say “I have spent 4 years in college and 3 smelly weeks in the car with you exploring the SouthWest, BMJD!!” You are one of my favs. Thanks for having such an exciting life.
I will be right there with you…well, as far as the departure gate at good ol’ Indianapolis International!
So glad we were part of the farewell tour! Thanks for visiting and hope you are having fun in Chicago. Best of luck on your grand adventure!