Travel Details

I will be leaving tomorrow around noon to catch a flight from Baltimore to New York. At 9, I'll take a red-eye to Paris that arrives around 10 am. At 2, I'll start the final trip from Paris to Cotonou, Benin. I will be in Benin by about 7 (which would be 2pm eastern standard time). I will likely have the abilty to post while on the road. Miss you all :)

-- again, if you have time, you can sign in to comment by clicking on comments and typing in the box, you can use the username naabfriend with the password: password. I would love to hear from you.

Old ship in the harbor a block from my hotel. 

Downtown Baltimore 

Training camp

So, I'm away at CRS training camp. There are about 25 of us fellows who have been placed around the world. Like 7 of us are in West Africa, so I'm not alone in my corner of the world.

Getting here was a mini-adventure. The plane I took left from Detroit to Cleveland. I was a little choked up as I went through security realizing that I'm leaving behind so many people that I love so much. But looking at my ticket, I said to myself "I'm only going to Cleveland." and smiled. Each day, each plane at a time and it doesn't feel so far.

When I reached my gate, I realized that I would be taking a rather small plane. I didn't realize HOW SMALL it would be. It was a 20 seat prop plane. It looked like a mini-cargo plane -- as if the seats were an after thought. I said to myself, "In a few days I'll be riding a jumbo jet over the Atlantic, but for now, I'm on this tiny prop plane on my way to Cleveland."

I arrived in Baltimore to the Brookshire Suites Hotel-- http://www.brookshiresuites.com/photo.asp?ID=125 -- My room was beautiful. Luxurious sheets, internet, nice soap and shampoos and all those little details that make life feel great. This was good because training has been a challenge. Hours and hours of policy and procedure that would make accountants scream uncle. But, what did I expect?

A few more days and I'll be off.

final thoughts before leaving

I'm sitting in front of a pile of stuff, mostly packed, thinking about the trip that lie ahead. It is sinking in that I am leaving to somewhere I've never been and I don't know anything about what I will do or where I will live when I get there. I have always been one for the spontaneous so I don't feel completely out of my element, but it is a lot all at once to take in.

I've been working long hours to wrap up life here and prepare for life there. I keep feeling like there is something more. I can't really think of what that something might be, but it looms in my mind. I'm glad that I have a week in Baltimore to allow my mind a chance to get around the details.

I've had great visits and wonderful emails with friends and family as part of my preparation. It has warmed my heart and will continue to lighten my days when I am far from home and missing everyone.

A moment to rant...

I am drowning in details as I try to prepare for my trip to Benin. Most of which actually have nothing to do with Benin -- the most annoying part.

Usually, I don't put much stock into preparation. I just do my thing and then, when its time to leave, I leave. Well, this time, I decided to prepare. My mistake.

About a month ago, I set to purchasing new technology for myself and for the university in Haiti where I am working to develop a distance learning program. I wrote out a detailed budget of all the things I needed / wanted and how much I was going to spend on them. Through intense research online I was able to buy everything that I needed and stayed well under budget. I was very proud of myself.

But after the arrival of the first box, things went spiralling to a well of chaos that even I have a hard time fathoming. I lost my cell phone. Two seperate companies that I placed orders with lost my orders. My car broke down. I got it fixed. The new parts broke. I got it fixed again. My purse got stolen at the fireworks and I had to cancel all my credit cards and replace my IDs --> setting off a fury of issues and problems at the bank which lead to even more confusion with my already messed up orders. In the midst of this, I had to run to virginia to deliver supplies and meet with a colleage about the distance learning program in Haiti. I mean, teaching from Benin to Haiti --> that's distance! On the way to Virginia, you guessed it, my car had more problems.

Any one who knows me knows that I do not live for details. And in fact, I have to say that I have tolerated this obligatory attention to details better than perhaps any other time in my short history. But ....... It is getting rediculous. My energy and attention span is burning quite short.

On the rare moments that I get to actually take in the big picture, I get very excited. I've been able to glance at a strategy paper from CRS and learned a little more about what they do and what I might be doing. I haven't really come to any conclusion about my life in Africa except for -- I'll find out when I get there.

Bachir's baby came 3 weeks early. A little girl named Hayrah. She was born July 7 at 10:30 and wieghed 6.1 pounds at 19 inches. Mom and baby are home and well. 

For the 4th of July weekend, we played beach volleyball in the backyard and sunbathed on our little beach. During one of the games the ball was hit hard and rolled quickly towards the pond. 

Seeing that there was a problem, Dad offered to dive in the pond to save the day. 

Dad gallantly rescued the lost volleyball.