Day 1: MCI - CLT - IAD

 Due to the Memorial Day holiday, we got off work at 3:30 on Friday.  Thank goodness.   I was getting pretty stressted about getting off at 4, driving 15 minutes home to change clothes, then driving 35 minutes to the airport.  It would have been cutting it close for 6:15 flight.  And with all my luggage, including the THREE giant bags I wanted to check all the way through to Ethiopia, let's just say the extra 30 minutes was welcomed.

Outside of MCI - trying not to cry...

Matt met me at my house to take me to the airport. Commence crying as soon as I saw him. Ha, I'm pathetic, I know. I did pretty well all day.  But leaving the second time wasn't any easier than the first! I think I held it together for all of two minutes...

I managed to change clothes and grab my little bag, and we took off. I loaded everything else in his car the night before so we wouldn't have to deal with it if time was an issue. He even let me drive to try and keep my mind off leaving. And played super fun Matt & Kim music and danced around in the car to  make me smile. It didn't work. I still cried the whole way...while trying to drive.  Bad decision. ;)

We made it to the airport around 4:15 and said a quick goodbye in the car. (I'm practically sobbing at this point and looked like such a disaster! I don't know how he puts up with me!) We got all the bags out on the sidewalk for a quick picture and devised a plan to get them inside. There was absolutely no way I was carrying 150 pounds of luggage on top of my two carry-one. It jut wasn't happening.  So I somehow finagled my way in with my backpack on my back, my smaller bag around my neck, the giant black duffle bag on one arm, and dragging one big blue container, which was hitting my foot with every other step. I bet I looked pretty awesome. ;) Matt left his car on the curb and quickly drug the other blue container inside for me. And no line at US Airways! I didn't have to wait at all. Well...kind of...

 The first lady I talked to didn't know how to check bags for international flights. Neither did the lady next to her. Apparently not many people fly on US Airways international airline partners from KC? The real issue I guess was that they didn't know how much to charge me for three bags. Or how to tag them. 1 kept trying to tell them they didn't have to charge me anything to keep it simple. :) I pushed for them to waive a bag fee for mission work with kids in Africa. I pulled every card I could think of, haha. Hey, it worked last time. No harm in trying again. Long story short, three people and 45 minutes later, they only charged me $130 to get my three bags from KC to Addis Ababa. It got to the point where it was either pay that, or I could pick them all up in Washington / Dulles tonight and pay another $150 in the morning to Ethiopian Airlines. No way was I dealing with those bags two more times.  I took the first option. :)

So remember how I said thank goodness we got off work early? Yea, that's why. If we would have pulled up to the airport around 5 like we had planned, I literally would have cried. Because by that time, the line to check in was all the way down the corridor. No joke.  I would have missed my flight easily.

Oh, and I was spot on with the weights of the bags! One was 48.5 pounds, one was exactly 50, and the third was 50.05! That's some good packing! And talk about cutting it close! I don't think I could have squeezed one more thing in anywhere. It all worked out perfectly! 

I got through security with no problem, went to the bathroom, and grabbed a couple snacks for dinner. Wait, make that lunch and dinner. I was so stressed out all day that I didn't even eat lunch. Unless you count a couple of crackers from my co-worker. So my airport lunch/dinner consisted of a bag of BBQ chips, and peanut butter cliff bar, some chewy sprees and a bottle of water. So healthy. 

I called Matt once I got settled by the gate, and ate my food. Didn't have too long to sit before they started boarding for my first flight of the night: MCI - CLT (Charlotte).  

My seat was towards the front of the plane, which meant I boarded in the last group. Which also meant there probably wouldn't be any overhead bin space left for my giant backpack. I decided to just wait until last to board and had swallowed the fact that I would have to gate check my precious bag. (Not a fan of that.) 

With only 4 or 5 people behind me, they had already announced that if your bag didn't fit under the seat in front of you, you would have to check it. Go figure. But when I got up to the lady, she asked if I had a bag to check. I turned sideways so she could see the big thing on my back and smiled. Surprisingly, she smiled back and said, "Do you want to see if you can find a spot for that on the plane?" :) I still didn't have much hope walking on the plane, but sure enough, right above the row in front of me was an entire empty overhead bin. Practically all of the other ones were shut already because they were full. Score for me! 

The 2 hour flight in to Charlotte was on time and pretty uneventful. I had a window seat and the guy next to me was sleeping. So not much to do except stare at the awesome pictures Matt sent with me in the card he gave me in the car. I haven't been able to read the whole letter yet. I start crying every time I try! But the pictures are some that Shauna took of us earlier in the week, and I LOVE them!! He apparently sweet talked her in to printing a couple of for me, and I'm so glad she did! They will keep me smiling for sure over the next 10 days!

We landed in Charlotte around 9:30. Plenty of time for a bathroom break in between shuffling gates. I grabbed an italian flat  bread sandwhich from Quiznos that was oh-so-greasy and oh-so-good! I really wanted some Greek frozen yogurt, too, but didn't want to wait in the giant line... I settled for some candy I had in my bag instead. :)

I also called to confirm a hotel reservation at Hampton Inn  for the night, and they said they have a free shuttle 24 hours a day! I could sleep at the airport, and would if I hadn't got this deal for free through my travel agent. But why not take advantage of a nice bed and one more shower before I take off in the morning?!

On to flight number two: 1 hour flying time CLT - IAD (Washington DC).  It was a tiny airplane. The ones you have to walk outside and up the stairs to the plane. I was happy to see my two big blue tubs and black duffle bag sitting on the tarmac though! :) But no way was my backpack fitting in those overheads.  Not a chance.  Luckily I could shove it underneath the seats in front of me. It took up both sides, but the nice lady next to me didn't mind. Score again for not having to gate check at all today! 

It was a quick flight. Landed in DC and called the hotel right away to get the shuttle heading my way. No bags for me to pick up tonight! Of course I walked the wrong way, then ended up trying to run back to the opposite end of ground transportation so I didn't miss it. Running with this backpack jiggling up and down has to be a sight to see. But I made it.  

I'm in my room now and I'm still going to try to stay up as long as I can.  My alarm is set really early so I can get a quick jog in (maybe) and eat some breakfast before heading back to the airport.  But this big bed is looking mighty comfy. It might be a struggle... We'll see how long I make it!

The bed in my hotel room in Washington DC

More to come tomorrow!

-TK

Sent from my iPhone

Back to Africa

Well, I'm off to Africa again...  I'm taking off this evening for another trip to Ethiopia, and then heading to Uganda (for the first time) over the next 9 days!

I fly to DC late tonight, then take off from there tomorrow morning (Saturday) for a 13 hour non-stop flight in to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  I have THREE 50 pound bags that I'm hoping I can get over there with little to no charge.  (Yea, right).  Whose brilliant idea was it to take 600 backpacks for all the kids in Ethiopia - on top of everything else for the girls in Uganda??  Oh yea...mine. 

(I've got 600 of these in my luggage right now.  600 is A LOT.)

In my defense, I really thought my boyfriend was going to come with me - and help out with the luggage - but due to previously scheduled family vacation time, and our lack of time off available at our jobs, he can't go this year.  So, yeah, I'm flying solo in Africa.  Should be a good time! ;)

I couldn't find any reasonably priced place to stay in Addis Ababa that looked non-sketchy, so I'm "couch surfing."  Ha, as if that couldn't be sketchy enough! ;)  Hey, don't judge.  I'm cheap, and I love to meet new people, so this is perfect!  Basically, I'm staying with a girl from New Zealand, Sophie, who I met on the website www.couchsurfing.org.  She lives in the city with her geologist boyfriend and is going to let me stay on her couch.  It's free, she seems really fun and has been VERY helpful!  I'm actually excited for my first couch surfing experience!

Already checked the weather.  Hot (80's) in Ethiopia, and no rain the 3 days I'm there.  That was a nice surprise, since it is currently their rainy season.  Uganda is also supposed to be hot, but a chance of rain (30%) every day, which could be fun. I'm pretty sure everything is just dirt there.  Not a whole lot of cement sidewalks and concrete roads.  Glad I fit in my big yellow rainboots and my K-State poncho for this trip!  That shouldn't stick out at all in Uganda... ;)


Forecasts for Addis Ababa (left) and Kampala (right)

So here's the tentative schedule (keep in mind it's Africa -- and things never go as planned):

I get in to Addis early Sunday morning (Saturday night back here), and Sophie is going to pick me up at the airport.  Depending on time and how I feel, I might try to go to church that morning.  I have a couple of options for that, one of which is going with a girl from Tennessee, Kiely, who lives there and works for Live FashionAble - the coolest scarf making company ever.  They've actually entrusted me to bring over some dye for the new fall collection to deliver to the factory!  That afternoon I'll probably just relax and sort through all my luggage - assuming it makes it over and through customs.  It's not organized at all right now, and that needs to change before Monday morning!

Kiely invited me (and Sophie, if she wants to come) to dinner at an Indian restaurant with some of her friends Sunday night, and I'm pretty excited about that!  Good food and meeting cool new people!?  Sign me up. :)

Monday morning Alex (HopeChest staff) is picking me up and we're making the long trek out to Trees of Glory, where my sweet little Mita is.  I'll deliver 150 backpacks to the kids there, along with a little "Jesus Loves Me" bead/safety pin craft for them to put on the bags.  I have lots of black permanent markers they can write their names on the bags with so they can tell which one belongs to which kid.  Hopefully that works...I didn't get around to trying it out before I left, so we'll see.

Monday afternoon we'll drive back to Addis and visit Kechene.  Same thing there with the backpacks and craft.  My friend, Angie, sponsors a little boy there, so I'll have to give him some extra attention and get some cute pics for her!

No plans for Monday evening.  Maybe dinner with Sophie or Kiely or something?  And hopefully some internet time!  Kiely told me about a few places in the city that have free wifi!  Hopefully that pans out.  I would love to be able to update this and send out some emails...and maybe some Facetime/Skype!

Tuesday morning I will be visiting Kind Hearts, where my Beza and Matt's Yitbarek attend.  That afternoon, I am SO EXCITED to finally get to go in to Korah.  Children's HopeChest just started a new carepoint there that I get to visit - and give out bags/crafts to each of the 150 kids there! 

Assuming those two visits don't take ALL day, I am planning on visiting the FashionAble factory Tuesday afternoon to see the women there and how the scarves are made.  And to buy some scarves, of course.  They're around $40 if you buy them here, and word is they're around $12 there. Score! :)

Tuesday night I'll probably just do dinner again somewhere - with whoever - try to get some wifi time in, and pack up what's left.  I leave Wednesady morning for Uganda!  It's a little less than 2 hour flight from Addis to Entebbe, Uganda - just south of the capital, Kampala.  Jonas and Sarah, workers for ThinkHumanity, are going to pick me up there, and accompany me on a 4 hours bus ride to a little town called Hoima in northwestern Uganda.  (Can't wait for THAT bus ride! ;) ) That's where I'll set up shop for the next 4 days.

I'll be staying at a hostel that houses 30 14-year-old girls attending secondary school (high school) there.  Beth, the founder of ThinkHumanity, took these 30 girls from the Kyangwali Refugee Camp on the border of Congo/Uganda, got them sponsored (Matt and I each have one), and got them enrolled in school.  She has also partnered with Feed Just One to provide healthy meals to the girls.  (If you're going to click on one link from this post, click on the Feed Just One above.  Their website has bios on all of the girls I will be staying with, as well their store where you can get a shirt to support them, or just donate a meal to them!)

The girls at the hostel in Hoima.  This is going to be fun!

I don't really have any concrete plans for the time I'm in Uganda.  Spending time with the girls, visiting their school, starting a bible study with them (bibles are already packed).  At some point, I will be visiting a couple of locations to dig a new well -- which is AWESOME!  A friend of mine's mom heard about where I travel to and what I like to do, and long story short, through a crazy chain of events that could only be orchestrated by the man upstairs, she is going to provide funding to dig a well in a remote village in Uganda in remembrance of her parents!  How cool is that!? :)

Saturday I will make the long bus trip back to Kampala to visit the Acholi women in the rock quarry.  These are the women who make all my fun jewelry and sling bags that I love so much!  I'll probably come back with a truck load of new stuff from them!  Then it's back to the airport that night to fly back to Addis, and then a lovely 17 hour flight back to DC, arriving Sunday morning.  Barring any delays / cancellations, I should be back in KC Sunday evening, and back to work on Monday! 

As always, I'll update this as often as possible, but I make no promises!  (I do promise to take lots of pictures, though!)  I have the low-down on some Wifi in Addis, and Beth just informed me that there is a computer in Hoima that usually has internet, so I should be good to go communication wise.  But again, it's Africa...so who knows!

Wish me luck!

-TK

"Just for Fun" Pictures

A co-worker of mine, Shauna, is also a photographer on the side.  An amazing photographer, I might add.  Last week, she asked Matt and I to "model" for her, just for fun.  She wanted to try out a new urban location and just get out and take some pictures again.  Knowing I love pictures, she came to the right person!  I jumped all over that!

I bought a new scarf for the occasion (really in to scarves right now), and found Matt a new purple shirt to match...because he needed some color in his life closet. ;)  I thought the outfits looked great together, and Shauna found some awesome locations down in the West Bottoms.

I only have a sneak preview of 5 photos right now, but they turned out so good and I just had to show them off! 

Funny story:  As soon as Shauna put these pictures up on facebook, my phone started blowing up with people asking if we were engaged!  Come on, people.  Do you really think I would announce something like that via pictures on facebook?  And there is no ring on my finger in any of the pictures.  I mean even my mom asked me if "something was up."  Ha!  So, sorry to disappoint, but no, we're not engaged.  They really were just for fun! :)

Thank you, Shauna, for the beautiful pictures!