World Travels Day 0

I'm sitting in Terminal C of Logan Airport in Boston waiting for my flight to DC. Sometime after 10 PM, I'll board a second flight from DC which will take me direct to Accra. Many thanks to free airport wireless giving me an opportunity to share a final reflection before heading off into the world.

It's been a busy few days. Activities completed yesterday included spraying lots of clothing with toxic mosquito-deterring chemicals (for the record, I don't want malaria, thanks) and booking a flight from Barcelona to Paris. I've never been to France but I'm optimistic that my abysmal French will be enough to carry me through five days of mostly-touristy activities in Paris after a decidedly non-touristy month in Ghana. (Unfortunately, French-language career both began and ended with a seventh-grade class that moved crawled through verbs at a slower rate than I would have thought possible.) Today was filled with the final stages of gathering everything I'll need for the next three months of my life and fitting most of it into my backpack (we're talking a 2300-square-inch hiking-style backpack here) and watching the end of Waiting for Superman, a fascinating documentary on aspects of the current state of American education.

How does it feel, heading off to Ghana? I primarily feel prepared and mildly nervous. The nerves mostly come from the craziness of spending a couple of days collecting everything to which I'll have access to for the next five weeks into a backpack then flying, with only that backpack, a third of the way around the world to do service at a rural orphanage in a country I've never been to and about which my knowledge is admittedly limited. I don't know about you, but they didn't cover much Ghanaian history in my childhood social studies classes.

I thank Outward Bound and my adventures in New Zealand for the preparedness aspect. I learned from Outward Bound how little we need for comfort and how strong each of us has the ability to be. I found in New Zealand that I'm fully capable of wandering around in an unfamiliar country, immersing myself in the experience of the stunning landscapes, and meeting amazing people (including a wonderful 70-something woman with whom I chatted for hours on a bus ride through the North Island).

Speaking of Outward Bound, I recently received the letter I had written myself on solo (that being our solo assignment). It was timed perfectly to send me back out into the world with some excellent reminders. Here are a few excerpts from me to you:

     You can do anything you set your mind to, so aim high and always persist.

     Climbing stuff builds character. Go on big hikes sometimes in life.

      Just sit. Not every moment, but keep in practice.

     Ten minutes a day adds up fast. Use it well.

     There will be tough days and tired weeks, but continue to push through (it's easier than bamboo!)..... On every day, including the many happily smooth and sunny ones, give every moment your all. Lend a helping hand to another Corps member, work to get that paint line nice and clean or future inhabitants, and try to show that best self you choose to be each and every day. You are who you want to be..... Go do good things in the world.

     PS No puma sightings yet, but there's still time.

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We never did see that elusive puma, but we did get to summit some amazing peaks and wake up to the most gorgeous riverside hikes I've ever experienced during my two weeks in Patagonia. I look forward to more breathtaking moments on this next big adventure. I'll try to share more with you about Ghana than you ever learned in social studies class.