Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly

November 2011 - Arrival in Ethiopia

Before the trip to Ethiopia I thought I would update my blog right away, keep writing while I was on the road, add updates along the way and then wrap it all up when I got back to Minnesota.

Well this is not how it went, but that is okay.
Inspired by the bold actions of two women I greatly admire, I thought I'd update this work in progress, just a little bit, just for now.

Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly - this is how life goes for me.

The photo above was taken as Maddy and I arrived at the airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
It was quite a long process getting there - we missed a flight in Frankfurt, ended up flying to Cairo on Egypt Air, and then to Addis.

Let's back up a little bit...here are a few more pictures.

Here we are in front of my apartment the morning of the first day. Packed and ready to go on the adventure! Yes, we traveled with carry on luggage only, and we were very grateful for that!  A couple of our traveling companions lost their luggage - just clothes, but that meant 5 days in the same clothes.

This was taken at the Minneapolis Farmer's market. We had a photo shoot with videographers. We've never seen any of the footage. Sometimes you take the action and let go of the outcome. I'm grateful for the photos we have, the notes I took, the experience, and the friends I made in Ethiopia. Through Facebook, Skype and LinkedIn I've been able to stay in contact with a few people.

Maddy on the plane, her travel pillow/frog is wrapped around her.


This photo below is my favorite from the trip. This was on our last day in Addis. We had come from Mekele and rural Tigray, we visited 3 villages where they were getting wells and clean drinking water for the first time, we had hiked and walked and explored and met people and we were happy to be rested and cleaned up and enjoying a beautiful day back in Addis.

Maddy took other pictures, we posted a lot of them on Facebook.
We seem to have a lot of pictures of goats.
Facebook Albums - Ethiopia 2011 http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150593486965460.452341.657830459&type=3&l=504eac071a

November

September, November...well we are going to be in Ethiopia for about a week in mid-November. This is just a quick update.

I hope we fly through Amsterdam. Just because.

Too many lists now, lots of things to do.
Shots and Paperwork and Visas Oh My!

I'm grateful to have more definite dates and information. Now those butterflies in my tummy can just simmer down please, everything will be all right.

More news to come.

Africa.

Ethiopia in September.

I have a lot to learn.

I applied for a new passport today. I tried about a week ago and found out the Midtown service center no longer issues passports. Now I remember reading about that but I forgot all about it.

I went to another center this morning. I thought I had everything I needed, but I left my birth certificate at home. When I got home and looked at it I was remined of my last trip, September of 2000, a lifetime ago. I had to have certified copies of my birth certificate for a work trip to Cuernavaca. The birth certificate copies have to be certified, they have to be stamped with the state seal. I was supposed to go on that trip with a group and ended up going alone when the other teachers resigned and the group leader was not allowed to board the plane because he had a photocopy and not a certified copy.

I'm very glad I ordered extra copies of the birth certificate for the Mexico trip so that I could attach one to my application today. I had a few moments of true frustration today. Drive home to get the missing paper, take and retake the passport photo, write 2 checks, correct a few things on the application, remind myself this is all part of the process.

Now wait 4 to 6 weeks, and hope it does not take that long.

I've been reading articles online about Ethiopia and the need for clean water and sanitation. I have a few new things to worry about and more things to do ~ make travel medicine appointments, get my swollen knee checked out, make sure we have all our meds refilled. I know we will not sleep in tents, we will have a couple of long plane flights and will need medicine to prevent malaria. Madeline was happy to find out that one of her acne meds is also an anti-malaria medication so she's all set.

We went to Lucy's Ethiopian Restaurant for lunch. There are a few Ethiopian restaurants close by and at least 2 Ethiopian grocery stores.

I remembered reading about teff, a gluten free grain used to make injera. The injera at the restaurant is not gluten free, but our server said that in Ethiopia, the injera bread is made with only teff and no wheat. Maybe I'll have a chance to try it somewhere else here before the trip.

The lamb dish I had was pretty good, a little spicy. My daughter liked her food, it was very similar to a middle eastern dish she likes.

I'm aware of my spending, my debt. I don't feel prepared for this. We were at Target and saw some luggage for sale pretty reasonably priced. I don't want to buy a lot of stuff for the trip, but I'm going to have to get at least a few things. It was suggested that we could each get a couple of sets of fishing wear at a place like Cabela's, light weight pants and tops we can wash in the sink overnight. Wear one, wash one.

Feel the fear and do it anyway.

We are getting excited. The issues we had today with the passport remind us that there will be more unexpected things along the way. Time to be open to learning a lot of new things, be flexible and adaptable to whatever happens and to let go of the idea that we have any control over this. I want to appreciate the time I have with my daughter and not get upset about little things.

Gratitude.

I'm grateful we are going later rather than sooner, that my passport application is in the works, that we got the call and we have a pretty definite plan for where we are going and when.

Amazing.

I hesitate to say what will happen next, I really want to experience all of it and not spend time thinking a lot about yesterday or tomorrow. I will be a traveler, not a tourist. I will allow myself to feel all the feelings along the way and know that we will be taken care of as we do this. Yes. We said yes. My daughter asked me today if I was glad I said yes. There is fear, there is worry, there is all the unknown, and still yes. I am glad we said yes.

I won a trip. This will be interesting.

So, crazy true story.

Here I am, just minding my business and also writing a note to myself that I need to change my life.
Lo and behold my life is about to change.

Careful what you wish for, I've been told.

I don't want to jinx it; not sure how much I can say or whatever, but I won a trip to another country and my daughter will be my guest. I will miss some work, she will miss some school, we will pay some taxes.

First reaction - I can't do this. This is not me, just up and taking off to see the world. I can't afford it. I don't even have a current passport. I have food issues, what will I eat anyway, nope I can't go. Oh, and my knee has been bothering me. Nope, can't go. I don't have enough vacation time at work. No way. Gotta stay here in my current not all that exciting life and miss out on this.

But wait...
So I posed the question to my facebook friends. What would you do?

Then I waited.

GO.
I would not give it a second thought.
Take a chance.
GO.
Trip of a lifetime.

I better talk to my most trusted friend and advisor.
She said sounds like fun. GO.

I better ask my mom. I mean, I'm 50 years old, but still I better ask my mom. She's the traveler. She's been all over the world. She will know THE ANSWER.

GO.

Good Orderly Direction...seems to be guiding me and helping me feel the fear, and do it anyway. The papers are notarized, I need to send them tomorrow and then wait.

WAIT?

Yes. I will be patient and let go of control. I have some plans, I have to get the passport, I need to teach someone my job (parts of it anyway) and I need to work on limiting my spending for now so that I will be prepared.

Careful what you wish for.