I've been finding out a lot of exciting details for my trip lately & decided that all of these things would make for a wonderful VERY FIRST REAL BLOG UPDATE. Hooty hoo! Some basics: I'm going to be in Kenya (more specifically, Kijabe) for two months this summer. I'm traveling with a team of 12 others and from the interaction and communication we've had via Internet, they all seem amazingly sick-diculous. I absolutely cannot wait to meet & adventure with all of these wonderful people.
I've already gotten all of my cheerful vaccinations (no yellow fever here!) and am counting down the days to start taking the pills for Malaria. I hear they'll come along with some pretty intense dreaming...I do love dreams!
The trip will start out in Chattanooga, TN on June 3 for a couple days of training camp. From there we'll drive to Atlanta and start our flying adventures! I just got our flight information this evening and can say with confidence that this is going to be a doozy. A wonderful and exciting doozy. WHAT UP JET LAG? Here it is:
Depart: Atlanta-June 7 - 5:30 PM
Arrive: Amsterdam (THE FREAKING NETHERLANDS!)-June 8 - 8:15 AM
Depart: Amsterdam-June 8 - 11:15 AM
Arrive: Nairobi (KENYA KENYA KENYA!)-June 8 - 8:15 PM
Depart: Nairobi-August 1 - 8:10 AM
Arrive: Amsterdam-August 1 - 3:55 PM
Depart: Amsterdam-August 1 - 4:55 PM
Arrive: Atlanta-August 1 - 8:20 PM
When we reach Kijabe we will be staying on the property of our contact, Pastor Simon. We are camping all throughout our trip & it is a whole lot of exciting mixed in with a little bit of "oh boy!".
At the moment I know only broad details about the work we will be doing in Kijabe, which involves work with Pastor Simon's local church, a local hospital, a local orphanage, and a nearby tribe (the Maasai tribe). Specifics aren't a concern at the moment...this entire experience is going to be so new and exciting and unfamiliar & all of it will just come how it comes. I'm peeing my pants in excitement at the thought of all that will be learned from the people we will be with all summer. My mind is going to be blown and I just can't even wait.
I'll be using this here blog to share my experiences throughout the summer & I'm excited to have it as a way to connect with everyone from home. This whole adventure is a huge, wonderful mixture of being scared/intimidated and exploding with excitement. Thank you so much to everyone who has been through this whole process to support me in every way imaginable. What a great thing it is to be reminded of how many wonderful people in your life love and support you. I'm so thankful for that.
16 days...wallah wallah!
