Walmart

As I noted previously as I start to pack Walmart trips ar inevitable. Last night I went with a huge list of things I needed and $140 later I had filled half my suitcase and gotten a significant amount of stuff that I needed. The one thing I have yet to get is a shammie (is that how you spell that?). I was in Walmart last night going back to my swim team days trying to remember what you called those little towels that dry you off in like an instant because that is what student movement suggests we bring. Anyways, I couldn't remember so I called Katie and she filled me in. The closest we came to it was a shamwow and I didn't know how I actually felt about those haha. We are going to try a sporting goods store next but if we don't have any luck shamwow it is! Hahah can you imagine?

This is just pathetic...

I am currently laying on my couch. I woke up at 10:30 with my quads still sore, just like they were yesterday. I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary in my workout routine so the only thing I can think of that would have caused this is gardening with my Mom on Monday. Who knew that pulling weeds, planting flowers, and spreading mulch would make me sore? I think it's kind of pathetic to be honest. To add insult to injury I started a new ab work out yesterday so my abs are sore too. Clearly running everyday is far different from actual physical labor so, as I read over my pre-departure guide for South Africa for what feels like the millionth time ( I'm trying to absorb everything) I am wondering how sore I am going to be the first few days. Remember the girl that is the daughter of the guy my dad works with that went to Africa? Remember, she gave me the idea to start this blog? Well on her blog she writes about how the well in her community is this massive whole in the ground that is insanley deep and the bucket is huge so hauling up the water is realllllyy hard. I have absolutely no upper body strength. Yes, I would consider myself in better shape than I once was but I'm definitely not doing one hundred push ups a day. So I'm pretty sure its inevitable that I will be sore the first week of the trip. There's nothing wrong with having a little bit of muscle right? haha. Anyways, I am seriously contemplating whether or not I want to run today because my quads hurt! I should just stop being a complainer and get up and go. I need some motivation and Bayleigh is not helping. She's not being her overhyper self; she's been sleeping all morning!

Working on the To Do List

I finally started reading over the packing list today. I realized that about half my suitcase is going to be a varying degree of cremes, pills, and bandages to address any possible minor health concern while I'm there. I started making a pile of clothes in the corner of my room that I want to bring with me. ANDDDD most importantly, I officially booked my ticket from Logan to Dulles where I will meet up with the rest of the group. I leave Boston at 8:30 am ( don't ask me what time I will have to leave my house to get there on time, insanely early!). I get to D.C. at 10:07 to be exact and I don't have to meet the group until 2:30 so pretty much I'm going to have four and a half hours to make all of my goodbye phone calls and people watch in the airport. On August 9th our flight from Amsterdam doesn't get to D.C. until 3:40 so I didn't get a flight out until 7:30 and I have a layover in JFK so needless to say I technically won't be back at my house until August 10th because my plane gets into Boston at 12:10 am. So there is all the specifics because i'm sure you all were dying to know haha. I'm so excited to just be there already, the extensive traveling part not so much.

Toms!

Everyday last semester at the Senate I would come in and do my morning routine in the office and then sit down and read the New York Times online. One day I stumbled across this article about Toms shoes. This young, goodlooking entrepreneur had started this company to provide shoes to those people that lived in extreme poverty. Since then AT&T I think it is is using him in their commercials. So, maybe some of you have seen him. Anyways, I really really really want a pair for Africa and there is a local store in Portland's Old Port that sells them so I need to get up there before I leave. For the most part you aren't going to find them being sold in any major stores they're kind of a grassroots thing. The website, www.tomsshoes.com can give you locations where they are sold and you can purchase them for shipping to your house their too. My personal favorite are the blue swing canvas. Anyways, I thought you all should know that i've heard great things about them and I think they would be great for summer. Plus, it's just a small way for you to be the change.

U ya Kwihi?

Title translated: Where are you going?

Well, I'm going to South Africa!!!!! The local language is Xitsonga. I'm having enough trouble pronouncing that let alone the actual words that are a part of it. I mean seriously, is the X silent or do you pronounce it? Where is the emphasis? I just praying that I pick up a few words before I go and then the rest comes naturally while I'm there.

Oh Jeez!

So, I just made this blog because some guy that my dad works with has a daughter going to Africa too and she did it. It's a wayyy better idea than sending out seperate emails, I'm not sure why I didn't think of this before. So for all of you that I told I would email-scratch that! Just check the blog!

I'm ready for the trip in the sense that I go my hepatitis A and B shots, got a tetnus booster, already took my typhoid medication, have my malaria medication filled, have my travelers diahrrea filled (gross right??), and I've bought some new clothes. But am I ready?!!??! I ask myself this everyday and usually come to the same conclusion: that it's going to be AMMMAAAZZING! But I still don't think it's hit me that in three weeks I'll be there.

Between now and departure day I'm going:
-attempt to learn some of the local language (student movement gave us a suggested list)
-Make what I'm sure will be multiple trips to walmart with my mother who already has like 5 post its around the house of stuff she thinks of for me to bring. Thanks mom, love you!
-Book a flight to D.C. where I meet the other interns!