On my way!

Four hours from now I will be leaving for the airport! I leave at 5 am, so yes that means I'm writing this at 1 in the morning. I have just about completed everything on my list except chopping carrots to take on the plane with me and writing down a few last addresses for postcards. I knew the trip was officially beginning today when I took my first dose of anti-malaria medicine, which has to be started two days before arrival. I did my final luggage weight check last night, and come in at a modest 45.5 pounds -- a whole extra 4 pounds I could have packed! What else might I need...hmmmm...

The flight will cover 10,226 miles and take me 27 hours, stopping in Newark, then Amsterdam where I'll meet up with 8 other women on the trip, then we're on to Nairobi, arriving at 8:30 pm on Wednesday. There's a 10 hour time difference, and I was advised by a frequent flyer friend to try to get on local time ASAP, which means my strategy is to take a sleeping pill as soon as we take off from Newark at about 3 pm Oregon time, and hope for a full night's sleep. Which with the way things are going with getting to bed right now, shouldn't be too hard. (True confession: Part of the reason I'm up so late is that I had to -- repeat HAD to -- watch the season finale of The Bachelor. Can you believe he picked Vienna?!? My sordid secret is now out. I feel much better.)

One last hope for fixing the technological glitch that has everyone who subscribed to my blog getting flooded with everyone else's responses: PLEASE DO NOT respond to the blog post emails -- it goes to everyone! If you'd like to comment (which I would love) please either go to the blog itself (http://patricia2africa.blogspot.com) and leave a comment there, or send me an email at my normal address. Everyone thanks you!

My next post will be from Africa, the first time I find access. Thank you everyone for all your well-wishes for this journey -- I feel very loved and supported, and am so glad you're coming with me!