It has kept me busy for the last 8 months. So much planning has gone into this trip, that I can't believe it's two days away, and there is still more to do!
Let's take a quick look at what has been checked off the to-do list and what remains to be done.
No Sweat: It's taken care of list:
Get round-trip tickets to Nairobi donated - check (and we're flying business class)
Get immunization shots - check (OUCH!!!, but the shots are better than fever or brain swell)
Get a lot of people excited about this and raise money to help kids - check (thanks everyone)
Arrange lodgings for London, Nairobi, Mwanza, and Nyamuswa - (quadruple check)
Pack toilet paper - check (there won't be any in the village, and some comforts I can't do w/out)
I'm right on top of that: still in the works list:
3 more thank you letters to go
Packing my gear, the Earthboxes, and the donated computers
Update Ipod and make final book selection (Now we all know that my nerdiness knows no limits, but the flights are very long, and I'm positively salivating over all the reading time I'm about to get. giggle, snort.)
AHHHHHH!!!!!!!: things that are freaking me out list:
I have to start my malaria medication today. New malaria medication doesn't give you nightmares like the older versions did, but I'm probably going to start glowing in the dark from all the immunizations and medicines you need to travel in rural Africa. I'll be my own night light!
Our planes from Nairobi to Mwanza have been booked and our seats are reserved, but there was a ticketing issue so they're not paid for yet. This makes me nervous, but with my super-powers of planning (read as OCD) I should have this taken care of tomorrow. Hopefully, it will be taken care of without a huge new price tag.
I'm sure there are more things that I could worry about, but I'm going to Africa! How cool is that?
Here's the educational part of this blog...ready...
The United Republic of Tanzania is located on the eastern side of the continent of Africa. Tanzania is below the equator and is bordered by Kenya, Uganda, Rowanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique. Many people travel to Tanzania every year to go on Safari and see the big animals of the Serengeti. I'm excited to go on a one-day safari two Saturdays from now, and I hope that I can see Lake Victoria.
I'll be posting everyday from now till we get to the village (no internet in the village), but I'll pick up posting again as soon as I'm back in Mwanza. Please write to me! Future posts will include more about the work we'll be doing in the village, and, of course, more educational snippets to fuel your inner nerd fire (or if you're inner nerd is really more of a smoldering nerd than a flaming nerd, then you can at least up your chances of winning trivia games).
Looking forward,
Megan
