The Last Supper

Last night, I honored my last dinner at home by having Thai takeout from down the street. I can't think of a more American send off than pad thai and coconut sticky rice.

To the left is a small sampling of the things I was asked to bring on the trip. While the energy bars and DEET spray will be the most practical, I'm looking forward to the mosquito head net in the top right. I'm sure the pictures of that won't be embarassing at all.

The white envelope in the middle contains a syringe, which I can use to test myself for malaria in an emergency. This is either terrifying or comforting.

At least 15 people I know have informed me about the approaching hurricane. By 15 people, I mean that my wonderful sister has informed me 15 times. It's not here yet, but I don't leave until 5 PM so I'm crossing my fingers that we avoid it. I wouldn't think the best way to start a 16 hour trip is with a delay. According to this map, there is a very dangerous Nevada-shaped anomaly attacking Washington D.C. now, so godspeed, Zimmermans. Fortunately, even if we get stuck on the runway for awhile, there is SkyMall in all of its glory.

As for the flight itself, it's about 7.5 hours to Amsterdam, then a 3 hour layover, then 8 to Uganda. I am eager to try some Dutch airline food.

I found out I will be staying at a lodge called Cassia, which is is on a large hill right outside Kampala. It has only 20 rooms and looks like a safari destination (although I'm told the only animals are bat-sized mosquitos). Although pad thai is probably not an option, there should be some pretty exotic food. This should be a great experience.

As an added bonus, as I leave this post to go finish packing, Brian Mohr just said that he can attend Brett's bachelor party, marking the first time he has responded to an email since joining the family. Well played, sir, well played.

Next post will be from across the Atlantic!