'Twas the night before lift off.Sitting in a comfortable room at my folks house in the leafy suburbs. How tomorrow things will be different! A series of flights etc will see me land at my destination on Saturday. A day spent saying goodbye to my flat and my dear, dear flatmates and packing, my mum dutifully sitting ticking from an enormous list of stuff.
It just about fits, but I think I may be a little over the weight limit. Infact the plane may pitch to whichever side my bag is loaded. I have visions of the plane flying in circles for hours around Hounslow!
As you can see from the picture above my 'to-do' list, for so many weeks expanding like an opera singer in a doughnut factory has finally begun to shrink........ Not before time. In fact the last thing on the list is being done now....er...Writing this.
My fractions have remained pretty stable so far (2/3 excited 1/3 terrified). Though as the hours draw nearer (and it's now less than 24 until I go) I feel a deepening sense of reality. Even as late as yesterday I was telling people about the trip with the sensation it was happening to somebody else!
In the last four weeks this venture (rather like Vietnam before it) has become my all encompassing thought. I've explained to all who've asked what I'm doing even though I've only a very sketchy idea myself. Though found it harder to answer the real question behind it, namely, why?. I guess I'll never know how this is going to be until I've done it, survived and left.
Earlier this week I met up with two friends who have been to where I am going. They provided a insight into what challenges lie ahead in a way that only those who have been there can. Neither of them will ever know, fully, how helpful those meetings were and I feel I am going into this standing on the shoulders of giants. My sincerest thanks must go to them. Whilst in my Oscar acceptance mode (tissues at the ready..) I must also thank my wonderful friends and family for their encouraging support, I really would not be here without you all I have been hugely humbled by your messages and love.
Right, enough misty-eyed gooieness.
At this point I better also make an apology, my spelling is atrocious! I've tried to spell check this but as the weeks and months go on I cannot guarantee this will happen. Just be grateful this is typed and not handwritten otherwise the spelling would be the least of your worries! Did you hear about the dyslexic devil worshiper who sold his soul to Santa? Poor spelling and rubbish jokes, I'd stop reading now!!!
For those of you not put off by the poor nature of the last paragraph I am indeed impressed, I can't promise it will get any funnier, but stick around regardless as I think this might at least get a bit more interesting!!!!
Loads to do, and a worrying lack of time with which to do it, must go, Africa here we go.
