Notes to Self

Note to self: Do not worry too much about your makeup when embarking on an 18 hour flight. All that will survive, maybe, is a little eyebrow.

Note to self: There are a lot of very helpful people out there. Don't worry. Someone will help you lift that suitcase into the overhead. Pack away!

Note to self: When you go to the trouble of making a mini-toiletry kit for your carry-on so you don't have to go into your big suitcase during an overnight layover, remember where you put your toothbrush. Now I've got to repack the big suitcase. Grrrrr.

Note to self: It really is okay to talk to people on airplanes. Some folks are usually downright fascinating when you listen. By the same token, if you see a woman eating alone in the dining room, staring out into space, ask if you can join her. You never know what you'll learn about Namibia (you can fill in a blank).

Note to self: Find a way to pressure Comcast into carrying CNN International and BBC for real -- not the edited for us version.

Note to self: When passing through a country you have never visited before, maybe you should plan to spend a couple of days getting to know the place before leaving.

Well, here I am at the Airport Grand Hotel in Johannesburg marveling at how unremarkable the journey has been, so far. It most definitely is a reminder not to stress.

Pre-journey was a little tense. First, the Dr. Julie (the witch doctor -- if you don't know that story, I'll blog about it one day, I am sure) recommended (out of an abundance of caution) that I not wear open shoes in Africa. I know my African friends will think she has lost her mind, but, oh well. So, instead of beginning to pack at noon, there I was in Nordstroms in Tyson's corner looking for a pair of shoes that would work with skirts and pants.

Then I got call and had something I needed to pick up in Rockville, so insteand of begining to pack at 1:30 or 2, I was stuck construction traffic of 495. While in Rockville I stopped into see Seth from the Ghanaian Presbyterian Church of Maryland. Seth has made bunches of arrangements for my stay in Ghana, and Rev. Mark thought it would be a good idea for us to meet before I took of. It was a good idea, and I figured I gcould get home by 3. I was still in good shape.

On my way home I received a call. The family member of a dear friend called to say my friend was just taken to the emergency room, and the family member was severl hours away. So, rather than exiting at River Road, around the Beltway I went to Alexandria Hospital. The traffic Gods were watching. I made it in 30 minutes!

Family members arrived not too long after, and I managed to get home by 8 p.m. I'm thinking this all ended up being a good thing because I didn't have a lot of time to think and rethinkwhat to bring and to pack and repack which probably is what would have happened had I started at noon, or 2, or 3. (My friend, by the way, is much better. I understand they were sending her home today. It is not easy being 90!)

Note to self: Do not over think your packing. Just try to remember where you put your toothbrush.

Those who know me well will be surprised to hear I have a 24" suitcase that I checked; a 22"er I carried on along with a small regular hand-carried bag. That's for more than a month. And I'm carrying a fair number of crayon boxes and Obama tee shirts. AND I didn't use the 2" expansion in either suitcase.'

I think I am going to be very tired of these clothes in 34 days.

Those of you who saw my tweet from the plane know I was sitting across the aisle from a couple of gentlemen who were on their way to South Africa to do some bird hunting. I was a little put off about that, but when they started talking about squirrel hunting, I thought that would be okay. Maybe I'll invite them over and sit them out on my back deck with a bottle of Johnny Walker Black. (It's what they were drinking on the plane.) I finally got up the nerve to ask them what kinds of birds they would be hunting in South Africa. Ducks and geese and pidgeons.

Hmmmm. Okay. Pidgeons are the squirrels of the air. Maybe they'd like to set up shop on my Parents' stoop in Brooklyn.

When we arrived in South Africa the Chick (that was his name) and Dave graciously took my suitcase down from the over head and we headed off to Passport Control. One of the booths was for taking your temperature! It was a random thing, and I guess I looked healthy enough because I didn't have to have mine taken. I got my passport duly stamped (whoopee! I've got evidence!) and off I went through the "nothing to declare' section of customs.

Not what I imagined. We all just strode through the wide hall to the exit and there were uniformed customs agents with clipboards. They randomly stopped folks walking through to check their luggage and ask additional questions. Not quite as organized as I anticipated the customs checkout to be. There were no counters or anything. The agents just stopped random people in the hallway. Most interesting.

I decided to have dinner in the hotel. The food was hotel food geared to cater to European and American tourists. Nothing to talk about there, but at the table across from me there was a single woman finishing her meal and she was just staring off into space. First we started talking across the table and I finally asked if we could sit together. Good move.

Luciana is a school principal in a village in Namibia. She just came from a conference in Lilongwe where she and representatives from other African countries worked on strategies to facilitate getting women and disabled people more involved in sports. We talked about the difficulties diabled folks have because the infrastructure to support them simply isn't there. (No disabilities acts in Africa as of yet.) While she loves working with the 'women in sports' group, her passion clearly is working with the issues faced by the disabled. It was great to get to know Luciana and to hear about her life (she has three children: 21, 15 and 2!). She has traveled all over Africa working on these issues.

So this is my trip, thus far. Not really exciting. Sometimes that is a very good thing. I am happy to be here and sooooo looking forward to seeing my friends, Sandy, Maitland, Moses and Miriam tomorrow. Next time, though, I will plan to spend a few days in South Africa. Every South African I've met so far has convinced me I have made a huge mistake.

It is now nearly midnight. Time to go to sleep.

Oh yes. I did find my toothbrush -- in the carry on where I thought it was in the first place. Now I've got to figure out how to get everything back in the BIG suitcase. AUGHHHHHHH! :-)