DEPARTURE - I'LL MISS MY FAMILY

I posted a photo of the kids so I can see it when I'm in Moshi. Jill and I meet at the airport in two hours - January 11th has finally arrived. I am feeling anxious. An hour of breathing, yoga and prayer this morning has helped as well as thinking of and reading everyone's blessings and wishes for a safe, healthy journey. My sister sent a quote to me that is particularly inspiring and applicable at this time:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bow lines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. (Mark Twain)

Yesterday I began to give up control of my household. It was no easy task with the children continually asking me to take them places and do things for them. After driving Daniel to paintball I began to respond with "I'm going to Africa tomorrow and I need to pack" repeatedly. I actually needed to unpack. My bag was 10 lbs. over the limit. I have medical supplies that I purchased and some from Jill. I have things in my bag for Sandy that she needs for the climb and could not find in Kingston. I have bundles of sharpened pencils and paper to take to the Amani Center (an orphanage near the Pamoja Tunaweza Women's Center in Moshi where we will be working). Hannah's 4th grade class make some lovely simple posters with a photo of each of them and descriptions about themselves and what they like to do. They are beautiful and packed and ready to go to the Amani Center to share. Of course all of my gear for climbing including a tent are packed and sitting by the back door.

The torch of motherhood/household has been passed to 3 part-time college sitters and one overnight sitter who is like an aunt to my children and a sister to me. The details of the children's lives are posted on the refrigerator. Each time I thought I had everything taken care of another baseball tournament or basketball game was added to the schedule which I took as a sign to let go. I told the kids and their sitters that if all they do is watch T.V. for the next three weeks and they are happy that's all that counts. What big grins the kids had on their faces! What freedom I felt!

Thank you all again for your blessings . . . right back at you!

On The Downhill Side of Training

My training to climb Kili peaked a couple of weeks ago when I managed to climb the stadium steps top to bottom 20X. When I first began climbing 6X seemed like quite an accomplishment so 20X truly was an accomplishment. We will climb again tomorrow for an hour or so (10X perhaps) since we are now on the downhill side of training. The kids are off school for a week so Daniel will come with me tomorrow and throw a football around on the 'Florida Field' as it's called where the Gainesville Gators play their home football games. I took these photos looking up the stadium steps before a climb and looking accross the stadium at Hannah's teacher and her family climbing. It gives you an idea of the size of the stadium. It holds 90,000 people. There are often people there training for various places/events are just getting fit.

15 More Nights Before Take Off

The preparations have been taking place in Kingston, Ontario and Gainesville, Florida for about 25 women to climb Kilimanjaro and work in a women's health clinic in Moshi, Tanzania. I depart January 11th from the Gainesville Airport and meet up with our Canadian counterparts in Amsterdam. From there we fly together to Kilimanjaro. We will be working in a women's medical clinic for a week. The last time this health mission took place over 2000 women and children were seen. I hope to assist with well baby checks and utilize my lactation consulting skills. I have been climbing the local football stadium steps to train to climb Mount Kilimanjaro the week after the clinic. It is locally known as 'Gator Mountain' for the football team that plays there. My legs and cardiovascular system has gotten stronger since training began in the spring. I took a six weeks off for a minor medical problem and was concerned about building my strength back up in time, but I'm ready.
In fact I've packed my 65 liter back pack which the porters will take up the mountain and I've packed another bag with some supplies for the clinic and other bits of clothes, books etc.

Sandy and I speak frequently and she will be going to Mountain Equipment Co-op soon to purchase the rest of her gear for the climb.

The most challenging mountain to climb has been arranging childcare for the kids while I'm away. I've arranged for 4 babysitters and family friends to care for the kids at home and shuttle the kids to gymnastics, swim team, basketball, baseball and school. Guitar lessons are being put on hold until I return since, as my daughter says "I think what you do will be too much for the babysitters."

I think what I am looking forward to the most is being surrounded by people with the same goal. As I write this my children are playing ball around me, my son just bumped his head and needed comforting and one son is asking me when I'll be finished soon so he can down load some music. My husband who loves to bake and cook is currently making cinnamon buns for the morning and interrupting to ask for particular ingredients. I enjoy the feeling of having immediate shared goals with others and it's not something I experience these days except when I'm teaching yoga. I emphasize immediate because of course I am on the long term path of raising kids with my baking husband.

I've been vaccinated for yellow fever, hepatitis A & B, typhoid and polio. I'll start taking Malarone for malaria prevention on January 9th and just in case I experience intolerable side effects from it I will have another prescription of doxycycline with me to take instead.

The last adventure trip I did was a kayak trip to Johnstone Straights in British Columbia in the summer of 2006. That's where the photo of me was taken at our campsight where we ended up spending most of the week because the surf was too high for kayaking. That's the last time I slept in a tent. For this trip I've purchased a 3 season tent that is built to hold up under high winds, rain and cold temperatures. I've got a sleeping bag that has a warm collar on it as well as a hood and is designed to keep me warm to -15 celcius. I made an indulgent camping purchase this summer while in Vancouver of a thermarest mattress with down in it to keep me well insulated from the cold ground.

Bushmen Expeditions will be taking care of us on our Kilimanjaro Climb. They will carry our gear while all we have to do is put one foot in front of the other and breath deeply. They cook for us and even bring a clean white toilet up for us with its own tent - that's decadence on Kili.

Now I'm being asked to play one-on-one basketball. Tomorrow may be my last or second to last climb up Gator Mountain before the real Kili climb.

I don't know much about our group yet, but I think we range in age from 16 to 70. Our pre-climb training has ranged from not even walking to climbing and sleeping in a tent that simulates high altitude. Some of us are packing at the last minute and me, well I packed before Christmas holidays because sometimes it gets rather hectic around here. I put on my backpack and weighed it to be sure it meets the airline and porter requirements. My boots are not well-broken in, but I've worn them walking and climbing gator mountain with liners and thick wool socks and they are might comfortable and warm.

I am $550.00 away from my fundraising goal of $6000.00, $4000.00 of which goes to Pamoja Tunaweza medical clnic, and the rest goes towards my airfare.