T Minus Three Days

July 28, 2009

It is Tuesday night, and I have finally finished packing my "checked" bag. It was a challenge getting all the tools, candy and toys in my bag, while still leaving sufficient room for the clothes. After a couple of attempts, I gave in and pulled out a small second bag to help me stay under the 50 pounds per bag rule......It is amazing how heavy the candy is - particularly Tootsie Rolls! And "no", the candy isn't for me, it is for the kids at the school and in the neighborhood. They like to watch us work all day, and it is one of the highlights of the day to spend a little time playing around with the kids in the village.

Tomorrow night I finish packing my backpack, which will be the only thing I carry on the plane. It will need to carry all of my entertainment, documents, spare clothes and hygene supplies needed for a 2 day trip. Last trip I didn't even think about the "hygene" supplies, and by the time we got there, my contacts were glued to my eyes, and all I could think about was brushing my teeth.

Our 2 day trip should be fun...we leave Fort Myers at 7 am on Friday, July 31st, and don't actually get to Rwanda until 2:00 am on August 2nd. That includes stops in Chicago, London, Nairobi and finally Kigali. We have about a 6 hour layover in Chicago, which we hope is enough time to run into the city for a slice of pizza and a Segway tour of downtown.