It's Time for Africa!

Ready or not, here I come!

I'm pretty much packed, I've said goodbye to my friends and the members of my family who are at work already. I ate a chocolate chip cookie for breakfast.

I am as ready as I will ever be.

People keep asking if I am nervous: the answer is absolutely 100% YES. So nervous. The other day I couldn't fall asleep, I was so anxious. Alex keeps repeating "Requiescat in pace" when he sees me, which apparently means "rest in peace" in latin. On the other hand though, I still can't really believe its happening. It still seems so far away. And in a way it is. I'm not actually getting there until Friday morning. Here's my itinerary:
5:40 pm St. Louis - Chicago O'Hare
8ish Chicago - London Heathrow
10 hour layover in London -I plan on hitting the town for a few hours. You know, Tower of London, Oxford street...why not?
London - Entebbe ie UGANDA!!!

When I get to Uganda, Peter the program manager for my trip will be there to pick me up. Or, at least that's the plan. Then from what I gather, it is an hour long drive to Kampala, the city which I will call home for two months.

TWO MONTHS! In a way that sounds like a really long time and in a way it doesn't. I keep repeating my Dad's advice he gave to me last year when I was so nervous to leave for Cambridge. I asked him, what if I don't like it, what if I don't make any friends, what if I'm homesick? To which he responded, well then you will come home in 2 months. It's a very good point. And look how well Cambridge turned out!

To conclude, I would be very remiss if I didn't thank my wonderful parents for this trip. I know that I am incredibly spoiled, that I don't deserve half of what they have given me and that I am one of the luckiest girls in the world. I'm anxious to make the most of my time in Uganda so that their gift really is a valuable investment for my future. This research will be such a good stepping stool for graduate school, if I can do a decent job with it!

Alright, that's it. Ta! Love, peace, joy! Whatever it is that hippie travel people say to one another!