Drumroll, please...

Here's the Africa plan as it currently stands:

I'm leaving Massachusetts on the 9th of January, and arriving in Capetown, South Africa the 11th, where I'll be volunteering at Drakenstein Lion Sanctuary until the 30th.
Plans for February and March are still unclear, but I'll be spending most of April at the Bally Vaughan Sanctuary in Zimbabwe. By then, I imagine my funds will have dwindled, and I'll most likely wend my way back to the United States.

Since my last entry, I've been puttering about in preparation, which has required me to mix with strange folk: namely, doctors and trainers.

Doctors: to deal with my sinuses, which seem to be plotting world domination. Dealing with them has felt something like laying siege... Perplexed by my symptoms, they treated me for both allergies and a sinus infection. We fired omoxycillin first, but that only made it angry, so we brought out a bigger, pinker cannon called azithromycin, which seems to have had better luck, at least so far. Next I need to discuss the issue of cholera vaccines, and maybe a flu shot, not so much for my benefit as for that of the HIV population of Africa.

Trainers: Trainers are evil. They are also fascinating. In the first meeting, they bring out a nasty little program that takes all your measurements and creates a computerized model of you in a skintight leotard that you would never wear, if only to avoid having every flaw highlighted. You leave the session feeling about as attractive as a troll with facial hair. Then in the second session, you get a workout. My trainer showed me all sorts of handy-dandy exercises I could do without a gym, in response to my unorthodox lifestyle. She also said encouraging things about my current strength, despite that fact that I waddled out of there and could barely get up and down stairs all the next day!

An Admittedly Dry and Overdue Account of Recent Developments

It really is time to update what I've been up to. First of all, plans for Africa are progressing... and I won't tell you how, because you lot always jinx things for me! What I can tell you is that I won't be pulling my usual routine of sticking in one place. Most affordable African programs are more interested in short term volunteers, and many are specialized, so I'm applying to a number of different types of programs in various countries. Some applications are out, and I've even had a few acceptances, but I'm going to be miserly with the details for now.

Until then, I'm trying to get my body in working order. I've had a sinus infection for the last month and a half, so that will have to go. Also, I was beginning to feel that I've been too graceful lately, so late one night a few weeks ago, I fell down the stairs and messed up one shoulder. My gym offers one free session with a trainer, so maybe they can sort me out. Meanwhile, I'm trying to resist the urge to judge myself by some of the other gym rats.

Judging by various acceptances, it looks like I'll be leaving in early January, and staying at least through April. There are a lot of people I want to see (ahem-Miss Aussie Fantastico, you know who you are) and places I want to visit before I set sail, so fingers crossed, please!

Dreams are more fun

Firstly, thank you Karin for the encouragement and reminder that life won't just drop things in my lap on my schedule. I don't always remember these things, and I've decided to show my thanks by describing a dream I had the other day about Blue on Black. It gave me a good chuckle when I woke up:

In my dream, I was visiting Blue on Black around this year's Iditarod race. I discovered soon after arriving that the kennel had received a sizable amount of funding, far outstripping their needs (for those outside the field, this would never happen). Karin, you had at least three handlers, and about seven young people boarding there, paying rent. It was like a youth hostel. Barley loved it. Also, there were tiny puppies running around everywhere. I barely saw Karin or Varan, because all their time was spent running various teams. Mind you, not all the teams were dogs. You had received so much random funding, Karin, that you decided to have some fun by adopting a passel of various large carnivorous cats- lions, cheetahs, snow tigers, a few others- and teaching them to run through the snow in harness.h

Maybe something to think about for next year? When I become a rich and semi-famous author, I'll see about arranging that kind of funding...