This photo is of my bedroom here in New Hampshire. I hope the accommodations for the rest of my trip are as convenient as this.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Um, Dickie???
This photo is of my bedroom here in New Hampshire. I hope the accommodations for the rest of my trip are as convenient as this.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Packing, stage one
I'm leaving St. Louis in three days, not to be returning for a year, so I am starting stage one of the packing. At this point, I am seriously considering just getting a pitchfork and chucking ALL my clothes into the back of my car to be sorted through in New Hampshire, much closer to the date of my departure for the Grand Tour.
Packing got a bit more challenging though, as I just found out that my trip will entail both collecting monkey feces in the Kenyan forest and a black tie 60th birthday party in England. I'm thinking that just adding a scarf and earrings to one outfit might not cut it for the second. "Oh her? She's the American cousin..."
Packing got a bit more challenging though, as I just found out that my trip will entail both collecting monkey feces in the Kenyan forest and a black tie 60th birthday party in England. I'm thinking that just adding a scarf and earrings to one outfit might not cut it for the second. "Oh her? She's the American cousin..."
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Will there be a test?
I got the briefing for my monkey chasing Earthwatch trip last week (still fund-raising, by the way... www.earthwatch.org/FAF/MyPage/LucieGarnett), so I could read up on the details of my trip. When I received the 45 page document, naturally the first thing I did was to look at all the pictures. There was a nice full-page picture of a VERY cute lead-scientist for our trip. Oooo, bonus! When I actually read the briefing though, I found he wouldn't be on my trip. Bummer. Guess I'll have to pay attention to the monkeys now. It's probably better without him, though, as he is German, and I would have tried to impress him with my "I majored in German" skills, and attempted to say, "Wow, these monkeys are really cool," but, knowing my Lucie-Deutsch as I do, it would have come out roughly translated to "Which way to the nearest chocolate shop?"
I haven't read the whole briefing yet (although I did get a lot read as I sat in the travel clinic for an hour, waiting to get my myriad shots and pills), but I read a fair bit. Enough to get excited and confused. Excited by the fact that I will be going to Arab ruins in a Kenyan forest right next to the Indian Ocean. Confused by the fact that I am voluntarily going to a place where the temperature will be 72-90 degrees F, and the humidity 80-100%. Don't I make a big noisy fuss about ESCAPING that every summer??!
Back to the pictures in the book (which is what my co-teacher tells the kids "good readers" do when they first encounter non-fiction pieces--look at the pictures. I didn't know that was a strategy... I thought that was just delaying the inevitable of having to read the assignment.) At the end of the briefing, there were FLASHCARDS on how to identify the individual female monkeys that I will be studying (Angle, Susa, Pong-pong...). Along with descriptions of the salient features, there was a picture of their face, their tail, and their nipples. Yes, apparently one way to identify monkeys is by their nipples. Angle, for instance, has a right nipple which is longer than the left, and they are pale pink (no dark splotches).
I wonder if we could do that with humans...
I haven't read the whole briefing yet (although I did get a lot read as I sat in the travel clinic for an hour, waiting to get my myriad shots and pills), but I read a fair bit. Enough to get excited and confused. Excited by the fact that I will be going to Arab ruins in a Kenyan forest right next to the Indian Ocean. Confused by the fact that I am voluntarily going to a place where the temperature will be 72-90 degrees F, and the humidity 80-100%. Don't I make a big noisy fuss about ESCAPING that every summer??!
Back to the pictures in the book (which is what my co-teacher tells the kids "good readers" do when they first encounter non-fiction pieces--look at the pictures. I didn't know that was a strategy... I thought that was just delaying the inevitable of having to read the assignment.) At the end of the briefing, there were FLASHCARDS on how to identify the individual female monkeys that I will be studying (Angle, Susa, Pong-pong...). Along with descriptions of the salient features, there was a picture of their face, their tail, and their nipples. Yes, apparently one way to identify monkeys is by their nipples. Angle, for instance, has a right nipple which is longer than the left, and they are pale pink (no dark splotches).
I wonder if we could do that with humans...
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
"cherish the journey."
"cherish the journey" is written across the front of my t-shirt today. I wore it quite intentionally, as this is my last official day of first grade after ten years. I've never been one to strike out on my own into unknown territory. If I was marking my own progress report, next to "Takes Risks" I would give myself a PE (progressing towards expectations... only one step higher than Area of Concern).
I bought this shirt when my best friend was getting married and I was the maid of honor. I bought it as a reminder to myself that I needed to enjoy all of the pre-wedding madness. Plus, it was orange, like our dresses. (Don't groan, it was actually my suggestion, as we looked fabulous. Or at least I did, which really is all that matters.)
Now here I am, about to embark on what definitely will be the biggest journey of my life, both literally and metaphorically. I've travelled to Europe many times, but not beyond. And in all of my travellings, I've always been going to see people. This is the first time that I'll be on my own.
A good friend, when I told him my plans, said, "Some days will be hard." He just wanted to prepare me. I'm sure they will. I just need to keep reminding myself to cherish the journey.
Tomorrow the journey begins.
I bought this shirt when my best friend was getting married and I was the maid of honor. I bought it as a reminder to myself that I needed to enjoy all of the pre-wedding madness. Plus, it was orange, like our dresses. (Don't groan, it was actually my suggestion, as we looked fabulous. Or at least I did, which really is all that matters.)
Now here I am, about to embark on what definitely will be the biggest journey of my life, both literally and metaphorically. I've travelled to Europe many times, but not beyond. And in all of my travellings, I've always been going to see people. This is the first time that I'll be on my own.
A good friend, when I told him my plans, said, "Some days will be hard." He just wanted to prepare me. I'm sure they will. I just need to keep reminding myself to cherish the journey.
Tomorrow the journey begins.
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