It all seems like a lot of STUFF to me, but I got me here a day pack and the duffle that couldn't squish down if you had a 900 pound gorilla on it!  I was told to bring this instead of a backpack, my usual traveling gear.  The bag is jammed with sleeping bag, down parka, down vest, wool socks, mittens, lawyer, rain gear, headlamp , long underwear, books, pens, pads (presents) and a small towel.  It still worries me, and God only knows what the heck I will wear for the first part of the trip on safari.  My leader, Sherry, told me to bring some dressy pants for evening.  HA, thought I, but then rolled up a pair of silk cargo pants and shoved them into a corner.  I'll be dressy alright - silk pants and hiking boots!

I KNOW that Matt and Toby will be wonderful to our prince here, Shadow, seated on the sofa, surrounded by pillows.  Ah, the life of a dog!

Tonight a stay at Best Western at Dulles airport and then off on Ethiopian Airlines tomorrow, heading for Addis Ababa and then on to Nairobi.  I will jam a wee computer into my day pack and try to keep this blog going; if you don't hear from me, I'm probably on a savanna somewhere or skittering across the snows of Kilimanjaro.

Stay tuned!  Hasta luego, con abrazos, Faith