Well, I think my brain has finally started to recover. I mentioned it to mom, and something she said struck a chord, and that was I don’t think I realized how intensely focused I was on school.

And when it was finally over, my mind was so exhausted it took a wee bit of a break  But now it’s back, baby! It even scored me a 155 on this silly IQ test thingy. Anyway…

Now that I can spend a significant amount of time just focusing on and prepping for the trip, I’m realizing how much stuff there is to do . Just preparing the animals for my two week absence is going to be a lot of work. It’s only 59 days away…

Before I leave for Ethiopia in July, I need to:

» Have all my vaccinations (Hep. A and B, tetanus, and yellow fever)

» Wean myself off of caffeine…*twitch*

» Have blank tapes and detailed instructions so that my Sci-Fi Fridays will get taped (hey, it’s important!)

» Have all my supplies and be completely packed.

It’s that last one that’ll be the most work, for obvious reasons. I’ve already started my packing list, and it seems to grow longer every day. Here’s what I’ve got so far:

Sleeping bag – needs to be light and very compact. So far I like this one and this one.

Pillow - still looking for one that’s not too bulky

Flashlight – needs to provide good lighting, not burn out too quickly, and not be too big. Someone recommended a good one that I need to go check out…

Raincoat (Kayla borrowed mine *cough*)

Fleece jacket or sweatshirt

Sandals/Shoes – need to be fairly waterproof

Clothes…that’s as far as I’ve gotten with that one

Bible – I’d like to have my new ESV by then…

Journal

Camera – thinkin’ I’ll bring the digital (when we finally decide on one)

Ziploc Bags and Duct Tape – don’t leave home without them…

and then there’s all the toiletries (can you say Diva? ), plus the mini-medicine cabinet:

Immodium – a must have

Airborne – it saved my butt (or rather, my nose) in Romania, definitely want to have some with me…

Doxycycline, or whatever anti-malarial meds they give us

Vitamins/pain relief – not something you want to go without

There’s a lot more besides all that, including the things we’ll be bringing over and leaving for the kids.

Exciting but a little overwhelming