Nerd Alert!
School/Work is winding down for my 5th graders, and I still am getting the last few details in order for my trip. I was able to get my malaria medicine issues worked out, I am still waiting on my passport with visa to be returned from the Embassy of Mozambique, and I am realizing that I need to start thinking about packing.
I am trying to keep my gear that I am hauling to a minimum, but I am realizing that two months is a long time to be gone. I'm not worried about clothes that I will need, because let's be honest, I would be okay with a pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, and a couple of t-shirts, but it is the other things that need to be packed. Cameras, a laptop (so that I can continue to post while I am gone), a mosquito net, soap and other bathroom things to last for two months, and many other necessary supplies.
How in the world do you pack a sleeping bag with everything else that you need in one suitcase for a trip to Africa? Look no further!!! Through advancements in packing technology there is an answer! (Yes. I took pictures, so that you could partake in the pure and exquisite joy of my upgrade in packing skills) [yes, I know it's nerdy].
That is my sleeping bag in a vacuum bag. I also bought other vacuum bags that will help me compress clothes. They all still weigh the same amount, but take up much less space. brilliant!
I have also started a new book titled A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldierby Ishmael Beah. The book is a firsthand telling from a young man that, as a child growing up in Sierra Leone, Africa, was caught in the country's conflict and forced to fight as a child soldier. Ishmael tells his story in a very personal way, allowing the reader to follow him as he flees his village and goes into hiding from the government's army. He was eventually captured and forced to fight at the age of thirteen. He is now 26 years old, and lives in the United States.
As I read this man's story I can't help but continue to remember that he is about my age. Remembering my biggest concerns at the age of thirteen were zits, and try my hardest to convince myself and others that I was worth hanging out with.
At this same exact time in history, Ishmael was fighting for his life and against his will, in a battle that demolished the majority of the villages in his country. It makes my concerns of whether or not I get invited to the popular kid's weekend middle school party seem quite petty.
The book is thought provoking, has helped me to be more aware of the world around me, and also how fortunate we are to be in a country that we can feel safe for the most part. I would highly suggest that you take the time to pick this book up and follow this man's story. It will change your life.
As I continue to learn more about the continent of Africa, I am more intrigued and long to be in the culture and learning first hand about life outside of the United States. 26 days until I am on my way to a place that is guaranteed to change my life.
I am trying to keep my gear that I am hauling to a minimum, but I am realizing that two months is a long time to be gone. I'm not worried about clothes that I will need, because let's be honest, I would be okay with a pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, and a couple of t-shirts, but it is the other things that need to be packed. Cameras, a laptop (so that I can continue to post while I am gone), a mosquito net, soap and other bathroom things to last for two months, and many other necessary supplies.
How in the world do you pack a sleeping bag with everything else that you need in one suitcase for a trip to Africa? Look no further!!! Through advancements in packing technology there is an answer! (Yes. I took pictures, so that you could partake in the pure and exquisite joy of my upgrade in packing skills) [yes, I know it's nerdy].
That is my sleeping bag in a vacuum bag. I also bought other vacuum bags that will help me compress clothes. They all still weigh the same amount, but take up much less space. brilliant!
I have also started a new book titled A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldierby Ishmael Beah. The book is a firsthand telling from a young man that, as a child growing up in Sierra Leone, Africa, was caught in the country's conflict and forced to fight as a child soldier. Ishmael tells his story in a very personal way, allowing the reader to follow him as he flees his village and goes into hiding from the government's army. He was eventually captured and forced to fight at the age of thirteen. He is now 26 years old, and lives in the United States.As I read this man's story I can't help but continue to remember that he is about my age. Remembering my biggest concerns at the age of thirteen were zits, and try my hardest to convince myself and others that I was worth hanging out with.
At this same exact time in history, Ishmael was fighting for his life and against his will, in a battle that demolished the majority of the villages in his country. It makes my concerns of whether or not I get invited to the popular kid's weekend middle school party seem quite petty.
The book is thought provoking, has helped me to be more aware of the world around me, and also how fortunate we are to be in a country that we can feel safe for the most part. I would highly suggest that you take the time to pick this book up and follow this man's story. It will change your life.
As I continue to learn more about the continent of Africa, I am more intrigued and long to be in the culture and learning first hand about life outside of the United States. 26 days until I am on my way to a place that is guaranteed to change my life.
posted by justin at
11:00 PM
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