Monday, December 29, 2008

Planning, Freaking, Packing

So my nervous tummy has officially moved into the captain's chair of my life as the true countdown to South Africa begins. And it's not that I'm not excited and happy and totally and completely exihilirated, but when the unknown is still lurking, stress and nerves seem to take themselves out on my stomach. So I've accepted it's place in my day to day life. Acknnowledement is the first step right?

Anyways, so I'm beginning a mental packing list (yes, I know, I'm so on top of things) and realizing that I need tshirts. Decent tshirts that can get dirty, with things like baby spit up and sand and the diet coke in the airport and the day to day grit of working. And things I have now, actualy clothes that are pretty yet not that durable, are just not going to cut it. My mother and I have planned a massive trip to target in the near future and I can't WAIT for her to throw in the 'just in case you need them' bag of socks. Bless her heart. So my packing has begun, kind of, and the next exciting thing, planning.

Sue Taylor - (family friend, doctor, surrogate-mom, and general bad ass lady) and I are beginning to put together a rough plan. We fly in on sunday, we are spending sunday evening to tuesday in Capetown. I'm going to spend a day going to classes at Nelson Mandela University with a couple students that she and her family are helping to put through school. I'm going to tour the prison where he was kept and other Capetown-y things (not to mention give ourselves a day or two to get over jet lag). We are then going to move on to Port Elizabeth, where her project is, to meet with folks and work. She will be in meetings most of the rest of the week and our time there will be planned/hosted by her people. I will be helping in the classrooms and clinic at Saphire Elementary. I am going to be soaking it all in. She said to be prepared to be "in awe". Here is a little idea of the project that she, her husband, and the University of Washington educators are involved in there.



We are then going to head to Durban on saturday or sunday and then a short flight to Richard's Bay (the town nearest my town that has an airport) on that coming monday. I arrive at my program on monday, January 25th. That feels like a good day.

And just for shits and giggles, and since it has been dubbed my/our song by two lovely boys at work, here is a littly diddy to make you smile.




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1 comment:

Lauren said...

the captain's chair of your life?! oh my god that's FANTASTIC.