"The City"

The West Africa trip officially began this morning! That's right...my alarm went off at 3:45, I jumped on a 6:00 am flight, and Clair and I both have our Burkina Faso visas taken care of (3 hour turnaround time...not too shabby!)

As for the packing situation...let's just say I'm ready for just about any weather condition imaginable! Typically, I'm a light packer, but this time I'm erring on the side of caution. We don't know exactly where we're going, or what we'll (specifically) be doing in-country. Moreover, we could potentially clip the edge of the Sahel rainy season. So...I'm ready to stay warm in a downpour (for a couple days, at least!), the 60 degree evenings of coastal Senegal and overcast New York, and the scorching 110+ degree highs of Niger and Burkina Faso. How I avoided going over the 50 lb. domestic checked baggage limit is beyond me. Best guess: the backpack might have been resting ever-so-slightly on the rim of the scale. :-) At least international flights allow 75 lbs., so I don't have to worry!

Anyway...Siobhan (friend who is graciously hosting me in New York) has just walked into the cafe...time for me to run!