The first leg of the journey

So, today I woke up and got to face the first of what I am sure will be many adventures: packing. This was probably one of the most amusing things that I have done lately, as I tried to pack 6 or 7 months of things into one hiking backpack and a daypack. Needless to say, I am not bringing a lot of clothing and most of the big stuff (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad) is strapped to the outside of my bag, creating the appearance that I am carrying my home on my back. This isn't too far off, I guess. Then, my laptop went into my daypack, with the somewhat worrisome realization that I am bringing it almost soley as a storage device for the pictures on my digital camera. I hope I take enough pictures to make it worth lugging to Tanzania and paying duty tax on it. I'm starting to get pretty excited for this adventure, and I may even have found a traveling buddy for Europe this upcoming summer (Yay Shelley!!). I'm still hoping that my best friend from home, Marge, can make it, but money's tight and if she can't I'll still love her (I guesssss). So, now its off to 4 days in NYC, and then I take to the air on Thursday night!