On Saying Goodbye

I cannot wait to start taking photos of elephants starting Thursday (but I'm flying out tomorrow!). 

Thus tomorrow brings yet another goodbye to my family and my home, the PNW.  What makes us travel?  One thing I love about it is experiencing new smells.  Good and bad, they are the part of a place that you cannot experience in a photo or video, and they are deeply tied to memory, so the rest of my life I know I'll always get that whiff of Valdivia and feel nostalgic.  And soon I'll have East Africa to add to my olfactory bank. 

But it was recently brought to my attention that I have a tendency to leave town.  I cannot deny this habit and won't say that I'll ever stop taking long trips, but I will say that it does not mean I love my family and dearest friends any less.  It's not that I don't want to be here, it's that I want to be everywhere.  I promise to be safe and I promise not to forget you.

TZ and Me

My backpack as a pie chart:

Leaving on Monday, pit stop in London on Tuesday, Tanzania Wednesday!  I'll try to update but it will be entirely dependent on the internet situation.

Oops, summer's over

What a summer!  Amidst the white pines but mostly deciduous trees of the Adirondack "Mountains" I laughed, played, swam, hiked, biked, ate ice cream and got in touch with my inner nine year old at summer camp.  Here is a brief list of things I saw/did.

-- Got used to carrying around my kids' baby teeth.
-- Applied various topical creams to campers' feet, butts and legs on a nightly basis.
-- Helped a girl wear her first braid.
-- Gotten excited about using gel pens.
-- Blatantly lied to children.
-- Pretended that How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days was about me for a bedtime story (they ATE IT UP)
-- Saw a FLYING SQUIRREL!  You guys!
-- Performed an original song in front of hundreds.
-- Pelted children with balls.
-- Skipped a heartbeat upon seeing anticipated mail in the mail bag.
-- Invented state laws preventing kids from doing things I don't want my kids doing.
-- Watched a guy try to clean up spilled mashed potatoes with a broom.
-- Stole clothes/toothpaste/sunscreen/floss/Q Tips/scissors/string/candy/soap/shampoo/markers, etc. from kids.
-- Laughed and laughed and laughed.

So yes, it was a fabulous summer. I even have freckles that I didn't used to have!