Except for putting things in bags, I'm all packed. I guess that's not very packed, as far as the literal translation goes, but I've laid everything out on my bed. Picture time!



I alternate between worrying that I've packed too much and too little. We'll find out when I get there, won't we?

I've also treated most of my clothes with weird anti-mosquito stuff, including my dearly beloved "Chemicals Make our Lives Better" shirt from Just Seeds. My mother thought that was hilarious. The clothes are still airing out, so they're not in the bed picture, but they are 2 skirts and 9 shirts. Use your imagination.

Being here feels strange now. I think I've done everything I can to get ready, so now I'm just waiting. Hanging out in climate-controlled suburbia, waiting to get on a plane to Africa. I am marveling at the everyday luxuries around me: hot showers, supermarkets, bird feeders, flush toilets.

Last night, my parents decided to feed me the ultimate American dinner. Meatburgers, corn on the cob, and potato wedges. The burgers were made of the ground beef I bought at the farmers' market, and it was the first time I've really eaten meat in about a year and a half. I almost cried at the table. I don't know if it was the meat, or the whole meal, or my frustration with... everything. The disparity I feel between how we are living and how the world is.

Anyway. I'm leaving today. It's going to be a very long plane ride, but I'm guessing it'll be worth it.