There is a sense of relief I experience once I have actually left for a trip. Once on the road, I am officially done with preparation, regardless of whether or not I am actually prepared. I am able to finally move forward with eager anticipation, rather than the anxiety of "what am I forgetting?" What is done is done, what is not done is not done and cannot be done, so there is no use fretting about it. A simultaneous letting go and taking hold.
We had a nice little send-off at church (complete with bear hugs from the girls) and loaded up the bags. A smooth drive to O'Hare with a brief stop for burritos in Milwaukee, followed by a relatively easy check-in. Sailed through security without so much as a bag search or prostate check. Met up with Abby (ER nurse from Indiana), and then we were seven. Will be meeting the rest of the US/Canada team in Miami before the red-eye to LaPaz... that is if our flight is to take off (hour delay to rearrange the bags by hand, which apparently still requires my seatbelt to be fastened and is incompatible with use of unapproved electronic devices). Pretty bad when you've finished reading SkyMall and the plane hasn't taken off.
Top Ten things In SkyMall magazine that I will not be needing in Bolivia:
10. A seat from Yankee Stadium ($999.00)
9. Life-saving hurricane/ tsunami light ($34.99)
8. 15 foot tall cold-air inflatable blue gorilla ($1895.00)
7. Pink sapphire crystal clip-in hair extensions ($19.95)
6. Cast-iron giraffe shaped toilet paper dispenser ($29.95)
5. "Peeing Boy of Brussels" statue (and fountain of course) - ($199.00)
4. Fleece poncho with built-in pillow ($29.99)
3. iGrow laser hair-growing helmet ($695.00)
2. King Tut's Egyptian Throne Chair ($999.00 - hey, I am the "medical director" after all)
6 foot tall 16th century Italian armor suit with halberd ($995.00 - probably impervious to Amazonian blow-darts)
Well, if you are still reading, I applaud you. I will try and update as often as I can, but this is highly dependent on the availability of wifi in rural lowland Bolivia (or my skill at securing the lone seat at the local Internet cafe - a skill I did NOT possess the last time I was in Bolivia). Please pray for our team of Badgers, Buckeyes, Boilermakers, Tar-Heels and Canucks as we join with our Bolivian brothers and sisters in Santa Cruz and head to San Juan. We should be at our final destination by Sunday afternoon and start work Monday.
One last thing: Go Packers!
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