One Month

I'm going to Africa in 1 month. I still can't believe it. I wanted to fill you in on some of the details of my trip. I'm traveling to South Africa with one of my closest friends, Soraya Khoury. We met in a voice class at Columbia College during in fall of 1999. Soraya and I are volunteering at the Baphumelele Children's Home in a township outside of Capetown, called Khayelitsha. South Africa has the world's largest HIV+ population and Khayelitsha is home to many affected by the disease. Baphumelele houses approx. 100 orphaned children ranging from newborn to 18 yrs of age. We'll be at Baps (as it's called) until October 7th, caring for the children for 4 days out of the week and in Capetown on our off days. We'll use our time off to travel and explore South Africa. After our project ends we'll travel to the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park in Botswana, to Victoria Falls in Zambia/Zimbabwe and to Johannesburg. On October 20th, we fly from Johannesburg to Bangkok, Thailand. In Thailand, we plan on seeing Chiang Mai, possibly Ankgor Wat in Cambodia and lying on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We'll be in Thailand until November 5th, then we fly to Tokyo, where we'll spend 2 nights and we'll be back in the states on November 7th. I'm exhausted just thinking about it! If anyone has been to any of the places we're going and has advice on what to do/see, I would love to hear it!

So...in preparation for the trip, I've been reading the Lonely Planet Southern Africa travel guide. This was my favorite bit I read today:

"Rhinos tend to be wary of humans, although they may charge vehicles that get too close. If you are caught on foot and can't immediately climb a tree, face the charge and step to one side at the last moment in bullfight style."

WHAT!?! Climb a tree? Face the charge? This is OBVIOUSLY an important bit of information but I can't believe I'm actually going to be in a situation where I'll need to use it! We'll see tons of game in Botswana and I really hope I don't have to face a rhino! :-) I get immunized on Tuesday. The more I read about what I'm at risk for - Typhoid, Rabies, Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A, Anthrax, Yellow fever - the more anxious I get. The more I read about anything, the more realistic and scary this all becomes. This is no Disney vacation I'm going on. I just hadn't given much thought to all these things yet... but I'm still SUPER EXCITED!!!

I'm off to bed.

More info on Baphumelele at http://www.aviva-sa.com/projects/people/baphumelele/index.htm.

2 (the number after 1)

I suddenly have an urge to start writing on this thing. Let me get this straight...I write on here and you folks read it and I am able to maintain communication with hundreds of people? (Not that I have HUNDREDS of friends - my head isn't that big - but I figure that if you see something in my words that inspires you to try something new, treat someone differently, or look at life in a different way and you want to share it with someone, it very well may be read by hundreds of people.) And I think that's cool.

I wanted to share a story with you. (Now this thing is weird because I don't know if now I start typing to my computer or you guys...the HUNDREDS of you) ;-) Alright...tonight I was opening a piece of mail. It was from Blue Cross/Blue Shield (my health insurance provider) and when I looked at it, I had one of those "OH, MY!" type feelings. These feelings come when you see a bill from someplace that you owe hundreds of dollars to or your student loan statement or your child's report card...either way, we've all felt it. So the place my mind went was one of deep self introspection. I thought it was a letter telling me I had a terrible disease. FIRST of all, I know they don't send you letters telling you you have a terrible disease...I know they would have the decency to tell you to your face. But my mind went there. It told myself I had some deadly disease...and I believed it. I went through the thoughts of what I might possibly think if I found out I was dying? Who would I miss most? What would I really miss doing? Is there something I wish I had done? I then thought to myself..."If it did say that I had some terrible disease and I had to die...would I be fine with it?" By fine with it I don't mean welcoming death, I just mean being OK with it. Knowing we all die eventually but that I would be ok with the person I was and the contribution I'm making to the world, I thought, "I'd be at peace if I had to face death." I'd be ok dying, knowing that I'm doing the best I can with what I got. And then I thought...I'M GOING TO AFRICA!!!

That deserves a huge OMG!

Yes...I'm going to Africa. Who do I think I am? Why? I ask myself all these questions. And you know what I say? I say "Why not?!?" Why not do this now? See this now? Experience this now? Help these people now? Bring love to the lives of children now? Why not now? If any of you do read this, I'll tell you that I'm so completely excited to do this. To see these sights and feel these feelings. I get goosebumps just thinking about it and I'm sorry more of you can't experience this with me...you can, you know. ;-)

I'm going to head to bed now, but I hope this was an ok post and you all keep in touch with me while I'm gone through this ingenious thing. It's just easier to tell you things on this than emailing. And I have to think...MORE PEOPLE CAN ACCESS IT THIS WAY! Because I want you to share my thoughts, myt words...maybe this could become a more inspiring version of PEREZHILTON.COM. Cuz...you know we're all reading that. Well...maybe just some of us. (blush.)

Please read often, And let me know what you think. Talk to me.

1

is this thing on?