Starting Off

Packing the Essentials

I left the U.S. on the 17^th of April. The first thing me and my parents did in the airport was enact our own little three stooges comedy. My Dad had my two trunks on a dolly and he got on the escalator first. Then my Mom and I got on behind him each with a roller bag. At the top of the escalator, Dad got the wheel caught which doomed Mom and me to crash into him. Bags, trunks and dollies exploded at the top of the escalator with Mom, Dad and I at the top of the pile. We hurriedly kicked, drug, and shoved all my possessions out of the way before we caused any bodily injury to the other Cincinnati airport guest coming up the same escalator. I laughed really hard.

                Then we stood at the checked bag counter for more than hour debating about bag costs and whether they’d allow four bags… smiling the whole time of course. After that, the dreaded moment had arrived for me to hug my parents good bye. I had a planned speech about them being the best parents in the whole world, etc. But instead we just hugged for a long time and cried. I cried really hard.

                After that everything was gravy, my flights were pleasant. I spent one night in Johannesburg where I left a majority of my luggage in storage at the guest house. Lin Pinter and sat next to each other on the Jo-burg to Lusaka flight; we arrived in Lusaka Zambia on the 19^th. When I stepped out of the Lusaka airport the smell of Africa wrapped warmly around me. It smells like home.