Goodbye America

Somewhere over the Atlantic – We have left American airspace some time ago, nearly halfway into the flight to Amsterdam. The constant graphic on the main cabin screen show our tiny plane well over the blue water between continents. It is night outside and inside as well, the cabin darkened except for the occasional flickering of light from the individual screens on the seats. It is quiet except for the solo crying jag by a toddler, who I thought finally would give up, but is in full roar again. I am folded into my economy class seat and can’t even see the screen to my laptop, as it is folded as I type. So my apologies for poor grammar and/or spelling.

Night will be short as we jet across time zones. Soon I will be wondering when it is really morning to take another dose of Malaria medicine. I have a feeling the first few days will be rough with the eight-hour adjustment, and I might be crying for sleep just like my young fellow passenger. I have already gotten in two naps, a cute movie (Leap Year) and some TV (Modern Family and How I Met Your Mother), along with a meal.

So let’s go over my plan: I hope to visit three countries in two week, photographing Baylor students, faculty and staff in action in Africa. I am not sure when I can post to this blog, so will when I can. My destination today is Entebbe, Uganda, to meet up with Baylor accounting students.

I want to start this trip with some credits. To the folks with International Education who coordinate and run programs all around the world for Baylor students, I am thankful for the support and encouragement to help put together this trip. To the groups I will visit along the way, my thanks for a bed and meals, as well as allowing me to visit. To all the support from family and friends as I hastily put the details of this trip together, for your support, loans (Thanks Paul!) and love. To Matthew and Ashley for running things smoothly (and probably better with me not interfering) while I am away. And to Franci and Carter for their unending patience with me as I continue to take off and leave them behind. I love you and already miss you both. Some Skype will help along the way with keeping in touch, along with this blog. With all my trips it is a mixture of joy for the adventure and sadness of leaving my loved ones behind. But I am excited to bring you all along on my journey through these words.

And my thanks to you all for reading this.