Wednesday, April 28, 2010
'Me' MaThato
Before I even arrive at my daughter's home, I have a new identity. 'Me' MaThato. It translates as "Mother of Beloved." When my daughter arrived in her village, she was given a new name, Thato, which means beloved. [I hope I've spelled it correctly]. I am honored to be 'Me' MaThato. For years, people would say to me "Oh, you're Meg's mom." So, it is a label I know well.
What is a name? I've never even had a nickname, so having a whole community call me by a new name will be strange. I am defined by who I am as Donna. I wonder what having a new identity will mean -- the possibilities are tantalizing.
Packed. One carry on suitcase, a pocketbook and a warm coat!
Ready to go . . .
What is a name? I've never even had a nickname, so having a whole community call me by a new name will be strange. I am defined by who I am as Donna. I wonder what having a new identity will mean -- the possibilities are tantalizing.
Packed. One carry on suitcase, a pocketbook and a warm coat!
Ready to go . . .
Packing and Priorities
How do I pack for 19 days and 3 seasons - actually 4, if I include the rain! And 8 flights. Four are long, international flights, three will be across Africa and one will be a small, very small, plane to Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania. EIGHT flights - EIGHT airports - EIGHT security checks. [I'll be able to write a book just about airport experiences after this trip] A road trip is easy: if I pack too much, it stays in the car. I don't have to keep moving suitcases. Travel in the US is easy: I can easily replace a forgotten tube of Crest toothpaste. But for this trip I need to pack very carefully. I need just what I need. My secret - layers and dark colors. But, in the midst browns and blacks will be splashes of color: vibrant red and purple.
19 days is a easy when compared to packing for more than 2 years. When my daughter was preparing to leave for Lesotho, she needed to pack for a new adventure, different cultural norms, four seasons and the unknown. A winter coat and Uggs to summer shirts and flip flops went into her suitcase But what do you pack to make a new country feel like home? She couldn't take everything. It was interesting to watch her decide what was most important. Her cell phone and music were priorities but also: favorite pictures, a few books, her journal, a camera, comfortable T-shirts to remind her of places and events. A college sweatshirt. How many pairs of shoes did she need? And a few new items such as a solar powered charger for her phone. She has no electricity, water, or plumbing.
What makes a place home for you? I always travel with two items. Whether I'm away overnight, at my Fairfield University MFA residency, or visiting friends for a long weekend, I always have a favorite photo of my children with me. And my camera. Documenting family, friends, travel or day-to-day events is important to me.
I anticipate that I'll find that my daughter's idea of what is necessary to make a place home has changed. I imagine her priorities will be different given what she has experienced over the past 17 months. As I take pictures of her, her home, and the world she lives in, I have a feeling my priorities will change also.
19 days is a easy when compared to packing for more than 2 years. When my daughter was preparing to leave for Lesotho, she needed to pack for a new adventure, different cultural norms, four seasons and the unknown. A winter coat and Uggs to summer shirts and flip flops went into her suitcase But what do you pack to make a new country feel like home? She couldn't take everything. It was interesting to watch her decide what was most important. Her cell phone and music were priorities but also: favorite pictures, a few books, her journal, a camera, comfortable T-shirts to remind her of places and events. A college sweatshirt. How many pairs of shoes did she need? And a few new items such as a solar powered charger for her phone. She has no electricity, water, or plumbing.
What makes a place home for you? I always travel with two items. Whether I'm away overnight, at my Fairfield University MFA residency, or visiting friends for a long weekend, I always have a favorite photo of my children with me. And my camera. Documenting family, friends, travel or day-to-day events is important to me.
I anticipate that I'll find that my daughter's idea of what is necessary to make a place home has changed. I imagine her priorities will be different given what she has experienced over the past 17 months. As I take pictures of her, her home, and the world she lives in, I have a feeling my priorities will change also.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Details Details
Yesterday afternoon, in the process of going over flight details and selecting seats, we discover that the first leg of our journey, from JFK to Amsterdam, is canceled. The flight no longer exists. No one offers a reason; don't know if volcanic ash and overbooked flights are a factor or not. After an hour or more on the phone, a new flight is confirmed, on a new airline and departing 3 hours earlier. Details.
After a lengthy conversation with Verizon Wireless support services, shifting SIM cards, coordinating international calling and data plans, it appears we are electronically prepared for Africa. I should be able to stay in touch no matter where my daughter leads me. As an aside, the Verizon representative was patient, kept a sense of humor, and was extremely helpful. Details.
I've begun malaria medication. Received too many shots! Purchased an extra camera battery (it's charging) and memory card. Laundry. Packing. Details. Details.
After a lengthy conversation with Verizon Wireless support services, shifting SIM cards, coordinating international calling and data plans, it appears we are electronically prepared for Africa. I should be able to stay in touch no matter where my daughter leads me. As an aside, the Verizon representative was patient, kept a sense of humor, and was extremely helpful. Details.
I've begun malaria medication. Received too many shots! Purchased an extra camera battery (it's charging) and memory card. Laundry. Packing. Details. Details.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
New Beginnings
I am a blogger. Welcome.
As this blogging adventure begins for me, I am also preparing for a travel adventure. In one week, I will visit my daughter who serves in the Peace Corps. She is located in Lesotho, a small nation in Africa. Next Friday, I will hug her for the first time in more than 17 months. I can't wait!
I am very curious about one aspect of this trip with my daughter. It will be our first opportunity to spend an extended period of time together as adult women. Obviously, she will be in charge of the trip as it is her world - her family, her friends, her home, her work, her meals, her plans. I, who love to be in control, will have little control. This is a profound shift for us. The change in roles, from just mother and daughter to adult women, will be something to experience. I'm not going to visit the recent college graduate who walked out the front door in 2008. Rather, I will visit a woman I don't know yet. I will meet this woman, my daughter, for the first time in her world, a world I know very little about.
As I am just passing by what Africa will offer me, I hope to capture some of the experience here in words and photographs. Follow along. Please leave a comment. I don't know what I will find. I don't know what will capture my heart or my soul, but walking side-by-side with my daughter, I know I am in for a journey of a lifetime.
As this blogging adventure begins for me, I am also preparing for a travel adventure. In one week, I will visit my daughter who serves in the Peace Corps. She is located in Lesotho, a small nation in Africa. Next Friday, I will hug her for the first time in more than 17 months. I can't wait!
I am very curious about one aspect of this trip with my daughter. It will be our first opportunity to spend an extended period of time together as adult women. Obviously, she will be in charge of the trip as it is her world - her family, her friends, her home, her work, her meals, her plans. I, who love to be in control, will have little control. This is a profound shift for us. The change in roles, from just mother and daughter to adult women, will be something to experience. I'm not going to visit the recent college graduate who walked out the front door in 2008. Rather, I will visit a woman I don't know yet. I will meet this woman, my daughter, for the first time in her world, a world I know very little about.
As I am just passing by what Africa will offer me, I hope to capture some of the experience here in words and photographs. Follow along. Please leave a comment. I don't know what I will find. I don't know what will capture my heart or my soul, but walking side-by-side with my daughter, I know I am in for a journey of a lifetime.
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