1 week and 6 days to be exact. If you want to know what it feels like preparing for a trip and just waiting to go, it feels like craziness & idleness at the same time. Craziness because I've been out of town for almost every weekend in the past month, visiting friends, savoring my last days and saying "hello, goodbye... I'm peacing out." Idleness because I have a gigantic suitcase in my room, sitting on the floor with its menacing mouth wide open, warning me to choose my belongings wisely. Maybe another way to put this 'antsy anticipation' is that it's similar to pacing back and forth on a shoreline, waiting to set sail on the open sea.
Lyrics from a Teddy Geiger song popped into my mind:
"I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have and cannonball into the water..."
Anyways... I'm so thankful and kind of surprised that this process has been so smooth. No oppositions, really. My parents are fine with it. Any worry or concern has been expressed in the form of, "You need good shoes. Can you check out those good hiking shoes online?" Yes, okay I'll look at some Tevas. Or maybe some Chacos. Stuff that back-packers, trekkers and outdoorsy people have that I've always liked but never bought myself... yet. If anything, this trip has only been met with support. My lovely aunt would ask about my trip to "fay-jow" which refers to all of Africa in Cantonese. She (and a string of other relatives) would warn me against the mosquitoes or the extreme heat. She even gave me a donation to buy backpacks, books & school supplies for 100 children in Cameroon. whoa. I was so touched. I promised her that if it could not be spent in the form of 100 colorful backpacks jam-packed with supplies, it would be invested in child education for the local community, or contribute to projects/needs of the local area. Amazing. It gave me a more realistic responsibility to make the most of my time there, to keep my eyes peeled and to give. And it was a rather unexpected humanitarian effort and left me in awe of what my aunt envisioned charity to look like.
i am following your blog every step of the way. i can't wait to read about your experiences and the good work you will be doing in Cameroon. i don't know if i've said this to you before, if so, not enough -- i am SO proud of you. you have my endless support!
ReplyDeletecompletely inspired by u,
- Victoria