Sunday, May 15, 2011
To mummy or not to mummy?
I made a trip to the sporting goods store for camping supplies this weekend and left more than a little overwhelmed. Who knew there were so many types of sleeping bags?! I believe the last sleeping bag I owned the only decision I had to make was what character was on the front and now not only is there the color decision, but also the weight, the size, the cost, the temperature, do I want to be a mummy or the regular version? And to be honest the whole mummy idea freaks me out a little bit. I'm the kind of person who takes up the entire bed when given the chance (I'm single so it's allowed) and I'm not sure that being in a mummy position is not going to make me feel more than a little claustrophobic all night long. I like to be able to move and stretch out or at the very least have enough room to reach down and scratch my foot at night if needed. So I left the store empty handed except for the camping pillow and bug spray I'm suppose to soak my clothes in to keep the critters away. I guess I will be doing some more research before I return to the store and hopefully will leave triumphant and happy with my new purchase the next time.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Vaccinations...check!
I'm officially vaccinated! That Yellow Fever one burns a little, but it was all quick and for the most part painless and one more thing is crossed off my list to be closer to getting ready to leave for Kenya. Woohoo!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Dreaming a little
When I travel I find excitement in the entire process of it all, from coming up with the idea of where to go, to deciding what to do, where to stay, what to eat that is unique to the area, and of course, the actual getting to experience it all. As the trip to Kenya is being planned, I am also lucky enough to be planning a trip to Vancouver, British Columbia as well. I love the process of planning and spending hours in Barnes and Noble with guide books surrounding me while I try to figure out which one is best and worthy of my purchase then getting it home and reading it from cover to cover, making notes, and seeing what I want to do the most. I will spend time reading reviews on the internet and putting together prices to see what will fit in my budget and what is worth a little more of a splurge because it will be that once in a lifetime experience that I may never get the chance to try again. I treat every place I visit as if it will be the only time I will ever be there because there are so many places I want to see in the world (and so limited amount of time off from my work-it's crazy they actually want me to be there to work!) that it will most likely be the only time I will make it there. So this afternoon, I am getting to do one of my favorite things...planning another trip of a lifetime and dreaming of what the next adventure will be. Watching an Orca jump through the air? Helicopter ride to a glacier? Eating fabulous food? The possibilities are endless and I can't wait to experience it all!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Getting Ready for Kenya!
4/3/11:
It all started on a regular Monday night with an out of the blue e-mail from an old friend. One of those old friends that even though you don’t talk to each other regularly, when you do get together it is just like you are back in sixth grade again and no time has ever passed. Marianne sent an e-mail entitled “AFRICA?” saying that she knew we had been talking about going to Australia next year but would I be interested in possibly going to Africa on a safari with her this year. It took all of 3 minutes for me to write back that I was planning a trip with my brother and wasn’t sure if I could afford to do both but I would check my finances and get back to her as the excitement was already starting to build. She replied with the itinerary and an invite extended to my brother to join us…and a trip of a lifetime was in the making!
4/6/11:
When the idea of this trip first came up I realized it was so far out of my realm and comfort zone that it had never even made it to my bucket list. Africa, maybe, but a camping safari in Kenya with bugs and wild animals, not quite. I love being in the outdoors and hiking but come night time I want a soft cushy bed and a hot shower. I keep wondering what it is going to feel like being in nature with the animals. I’ve been on many a “safari” at Disney and Busch Gardens and been up close and personal with giraffe, hippos, elephants, and other animals…I know that it will not even compare but I have to admit that I will be more than a little disappointed if it does. After all, Disney World does not require a 30 hour flight nor a host of immunizations to get there.
And onto the topic of immunizations…I’ve made my appointment for next Friday to consult on what immunizations I may need and am surprised that I am not all that freaked out by it. At this point in time it seems like just another check on the list of things to get done before I can go on this exotic adventure. We’ll see if I still feel that way when the nurse is standing in front of me holding the giant needle.
4/9/11:
I’m expecting my poor little credit card to pass out from exhaustion any day now. While it will all get paid off at the end of the month, I’ve had to put the plane tickets for both my brother and me and the actual safari on the card (as well as tickets non-safari related but very exciting none-the-less to see Michael Buble in concert and the Zac Brown Band in concert) and now I bought a new fancy digital SLR camera in preparation for my trip! I’ve been eyeing one for a few years now but kept waiting for the right time to purchase and what better time then right before an African safari!? I bought it online so I won’t actually get it for a few days but I am so excited to start playing with it and trying out all the cool features so I will be ready come June for this trip.
4/15/11:
I went for my first immunization appointment and have 2 shots down and 2 more to go! I had to get the tetanus shot and the polio booster today. I was most weary of the tetanus shot and was praying I would not be super sore after it so I planned my appointment for a Friday just in case so that it wouldn’t interrupt my work. A little tip from the nurse that worked fabulously: flap your arm like a chicken wing to disperse the shot into the muscle and keep from getting sore! All these years and no one has ever told me that before about a shot. It worked like a charm. Granted the person in the car next to me on the way home probably thought I had a few screws loose as I was flapping down the road and singing to the radio.
5/1/11:
The trip is booked, I just received my visa in the mail, and now onto the fun part of preparations…shopping! I realized quite quickly that I don’t exactly have appropriate clothing for a safari. I’m not exactly the most outdoorsy of people so a trip to the outlet mall to meet up with a friend was the perfect chance to look for some more safari appropriate clothing. Here’s what I discovered: 1) if you wait until it gets warm out then all the long sleeve stuff is onsale- BONUS! 2) A fabulous pair of pants that can be worn long, Capri, or as shorts- score! And extra score is they come in long sizes to fit my legs J
Everytime I get something new done for the trip it just feels a little bit closer and more real. I’m still a bit in awe of the fact that I am actually getting to do this trip!
It all started on a regular Monday night with an out of the blue e-mail from an old friend. One of those old friends that even though you don’t talk to each other regularly, when you do get together it is just like you are back in sixth grade again and no time has ever passed. Marianne sent an e-mail entitled “AFRICA?” saying that she knew we had been talking about going to Australia next year but would I be interested in possibly going to Africa on a safari with her this year. It took all of 3 minutes for me to write back that I was planning a trip with my brother and wasn’t sure if I could afford to do both but I would check my finances and get back to her as the excitement was already starting to build. She replied with the itinerary and an invite extended to my brother to join us…and a trip of a lifetime was in the making!
4/6/11:
When the idea of this trip first came up I realized it was so far out of my realm and comfort zone that it had never even made it to my bucket list. Africa, maybe, but a camping safari in Kenya with bugs and wild animals, not quite. I love being in the outdoors and hiking but come night time I want a soft cushy bed and a hot shower. I keep wondering what it is going to feel like being in nature with the animals. I’ve been on many a “safari” at Disney and Busch Gardens and been up close and personal with giraffe, hippos, elephants, and other animals…I know that it will not even compare but I have to admit that I will be more than a little disappointed if it does. After all, Disney World does not require a 30 hour flight nor a host of immunizations to get there.
And onto the topic of immunizations…I’ve made my appointment for next Friday to consult on what immunizations I may need and am surprised that I am not all that freaked out by it. At this point in time it seems like just another check on the list of things to get done before I can go on this exotic adventure. We’ll see if I still feel that way when the nurse is standing in front of me holding the giant needle.
4/9/11:
I’m expecting my poor little credit card to pass out from exhaustion any day now. While it will all get paid off at the end of the month, I’ve had to put the plane tickets for both my brother and me and the actual safari on the card (as well as tickets non-safari related but very exciting none-the-less to see Michael Buble in concert and the Zac Brown Band in concert) and now I bought a new fancy digital SLR camera in preparation for my trip! I’ve been eyeing one for a few years now but kept waiting for the right time to purchase and what better time then right before an African safari!? I bought it online so I won’t actually get it for a few days but I am so excited to start playing with it and trying out all the cool features so I will be ready come June for this trip.
4/15/11:
I went for my first immunization appointment and have 2 shots down and 2 more to go! I had to get the tetanus shot and the polio booster today. I was most weary of the tetanus shot and was praying I would not be super sore after it so I planned my appointment for a Friday just in case so that it wouldn’t interrupt my work. A little tip from the nurse that worked fabulously: flap your arm like a chicken wing to disperse the shot into the muscle and keep from getting sore! All these years and no one has ever told me that before about a shot. It worked like a charm. Granted the person in the car next to me on the way home probably thought I had a few screws loose as I was flapping down the road and singing to the radio.
5/1/11:
The trip is booked, I just received my visa in the mail, and now onto the fun part of preparations…shopping! I realized quite quickly that I don’t exactly have appropriate clothing for a safari. I’m not exactly the most outdoorsy of people so a trip to the outlet mall to meet up with a friend was the perfect chance to look for some more safari appropriate clothing. Here’s what I discovered: 1) if you wait until it gets warm out then all the long sleeve stuff is onsale- BONUS! 2) A fabulous pair of pants that can be worn long, Capri, or as shorts- score! And extra score is they come in long sizes to fit my legs J
Everytime I get something new done for the trip it just feels a little bit closer and more real. I’m still a bit in awe of the fact that I am actually getting to do this trip!
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