Our plane was due to leave Logan at 8:00 pm on Sunday night. We had a 4 hour delay which worked great for me because I still was unpacked a few hours prior to departure.
Our check in process was uneventful. We learned from last year and we bought sturdy Sterlite plastic bins to transport our supplies. We have 11 extra bins over and above our allowed luggage limits. We are restricted by the 50 pound weight limit. You would be amazed at how many supplies the students were able to collect either via donations or purchased with donated funds. In all we are carrying 22 boxes filled with baby formula, adult and child multivitamins, prescription and non-prescription meds, first aid supplies, kids toys, shoes and books, just to name a few. The hard part is distributing when we arrive. They are all so needy that we need to distribute in a fair and equitable manner.
Packing for myself was also a huge task. I have learned what I needed and now my task is to try and fit it in my suitcases. My large suitcase is over the weight limit but I gladly pay the extra fee because that suitcase contains my peanut butter and other food stuffs for the trip. I have some books I am bringing to donate and also have an assortment of gifts to give out when I arrive. I know when I come home the luggage will weigh much less.
I have also brought along a netbook. My goal is to journal my experiences in a WORD file and then upload at the internet caf’. I also have some small reference texts that I may need during the clinics.
Our plane is getting ready to board. We are told that the security coming home to the USA will be much stricter due to the recent terrorist incident in Detroit.
More to come from Africa.