Update!

What a gorgeous weekend here in Ann Arbor! Sunny, 70s, a light breeze...life is good. :-) Ed and I were hoping to camp this weekend (South Manitou Island was the front-runner), but most campsites in the state are booked up, and we ended up settling with a relaxing Ann Arbor based weekend. There's a ton to do around here, anyway, and I'm semi-secretly happy that we're not driving around all weekend.
Otherwise, things are going well. My travel plans are solidifying around a Wednesday flight to New York, Friday-Saturday flight to Paris (for a 12 hour layover and quick trip into the city) before landing in Dakar on Saturday evening. Sunday morning, Clair and I will get on a plane to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. This last point still feels optimistic. I reserved (not booked...reserved) our tickets on Air Burkina (the only airline flying within West Africa) but am not convinced these reservations are meaningful. The fine print had some interesting points. For instance, you are free to use your cell phone throughout the flight. Also, fare changes happen and reservations may or may not fix your price. Based on my sole previous experience in Senegal, I half expect to haggle for the airfare when we arrive at the airport.
The rest of my preparations are going smoothly. Clair (my classmate and friend) and I went shopping for some of the basics (sunscreen, aloe, Pepto, unscented and mosquito-repellent scented soap and lotion, etc.) and I managed to get a solid base sunburn. This sunburn is an annual event and doesn't concern me, except it was the product of 1 hour in 80 degree weather. The low in Niamey, Niger that day was 83 and the high was 111. This pasty gal will be wearing sunscreen 24-7 for the next month!
Anyway...as mentioned earlier, I'll try to update this blog somewhat regularly, especially with pictures. However, I'm trying to supplement it with occassional emails but I can only email you if I have your email addy. So...if you'd like more personalized updates, or would just like to write to me in general, use wildflower023@gmail.com