Leaving on a jet plane!

In less than 24 hours, I will be on my way to start a grand adventure that I can't even rap my mind around. I have been going none stop for so long now, I haven't been allowed the luxury to slow down and realize the size of this venture I have before me. The reasoning is not apparent right now but I am sure it will become clear to me as I go on. I hope to find my path along the way in more ways then one. All I know is I feel the need to go back, fall in love with the people, nature and culture again, and offer myself over any way I can.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on which way you look at it), I haven't had the time to plan, analyze and pack the way I usually do for a large trip like this. Normally by now I would have a binder full of things to do, see and learn and I would have been packed 4 times over 2 weeks ago. Like mother, like daughter, she was able to fill the shoes on the OCD account but alas i am finish my packing the night before. I have managed to get my two suitcases filled with supplies and donations to the .01 of pound and now comes the carryons. To my surprise, I managed to fill all my clothes for the month into one carry on and wish me luck filling the other with personal affects and electronics!

My mother and I will be returning to East Africa and it feels like returning home (or rather second home). We will be working with Community Education Services, visiting some of the 26 secondary schools they support. That is the basis, the bones, the nitty gritty of our trip. We will touch base with students, young adults on the cusp of starting their lives and try to provide help and guidance wherever we can. Along with connecting with students, we will try our hands at teaching art and athletics. I haven't had as much time as I would like to plan a program of things to do and ideas to teach and that gives me anxiety galore. But thats what 48 hours of traveling in planes and airports are for right? Fitting into my teacher shoes on the fly! Literally, ha!

Our schedule will be made up on the fly as well but will sure be jam packed! A few other things you can look forward to hearing about is working in the orphanage my mom has tied roots in in Kakamega, going to special openings including the opening of the Thunder bay Chill tennis courts, and working in Kisumu with an inspirational lady that is involved in so many amazing things including clinics, schools and orphanages. I can not wait to play with all the adorable little kiddies!

And in the end, it will just be me, my mom and a mountain. With a twist in the plans, leaving us scrabbling with managing our time, we've signed up to climb Mount Kenya. When I was in Tanzania, I had a trip of a life time but I promised myself that if I ever came back, I would be healthy and fit and able to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Well although climbing Kili is still on the wish list, it was a bit to far and expensive to complete. But all of a sudden I found myself year later, 100 pounds lighter, 100 times more in shape, and going back to East Africa with some time to fill at the end of the trip. The nail in the descions coffin was when I realised that upon summiting Mount Kenya, it will become my 27th birthday. So bring it on the second highest mountain in Africa!

So stay tuned guys! I hope to update as often as I can with as many photos as I can. Drop a comment when you stop by and let me know what your thinking or whats new with you. I hope you all enjoy my little travel blog.

Lastly I want to shout out all my airport lovers! As I have been getting ready, my boyfriend and i have been talking about our different outlooks on in junction travel. He absolutely hates airports and wants the experience to be over as fast as possible. I love traveling, especially the time I get to spend in airports and in flight doing all the things I love to do. To me it's the ultimate of leisure, where I get to read books, watch movies, draw, play games, eat junkfood and listen to music. What do you think about airports and flights?!