FINAL TALLY FROM KAREN'S RIDE

I am very happy to announce our final total from Karen's Ride:

$2,656!! A special HUGE thank you to J. Rockwell "Rocky" Allen for his very generous donation of $500.

With this final donation and other fundraisers this Fall, we have been able to send monies for the purchase of paint for the classroom block!! Aside from desks and chairs, the project is complete and the children will soon be using it!!

As soon as photos arrive from Malawi, I will post them!

So...as the last blog mentioned, I plan to continue this ride, Karen's ride for Malawi, in 2012 and ride 500 miles up the coast of Maine! It is my hope to spread the word about this beautiful but impoverished country and support their efforts to succeed and prosper! It was a successful event last year and my hopes are that it is equally successful this year. I am seriously considering riding through all 50 states ultimately in this effort and believe that I will be able to do that! With the continuing support from family and friends there is no doubt that anything is possible, so I keep riding and raising money.

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I think about Malawi often and have just watched "The Amazing Race" which recently took place in Malawi and it always stirs something inside me...so I thought I might use this blog to share my story from the beginning. Many of the people who I have met over these last few years know just a small bit of my story and I thought this might be a good place to put some of the details of 'how it all started'. Hopefully it will be enjoyable to some and if not, it will be a nice reminiscence for me!
In 2003 my oldest child, Shannon, was just starting high school. I didn't understand how she got so old and I felt ill-prepared to have a child of that age! She came home from school about 2 weeks in and announced that she wanted to go to Africa. I dismissed the idea a little because it was too overwhelming for me to think about her going to Africa, because I couldn't even believe she was in HIGH SCHOOL!! To make a long story short, we agreed to 'let' her go - I don't think anything could have stopped her! She worked hard and was determined to go on this trip and in the summer of 2005, when she was just 16 years old she left for Malawi for one month with a group of her peers and 2 chaperones!
The 'deal' was that if we (the parents) didn't hear anything from the kids, we were to consider that 'good news'. They were discouraged from contacting home in order to minimize the home-sickness that that contact might bring. So, I didn't hear anything from her for a month...until 2 days before they were due home she emailed her brother who called me to say that there was a strike at the airlines and they would be delayed in coming home. I didn't find out until she returned home, that she and a friend on the trip had a 'bet' that neither of them would contact home (even though others on the trip were). The debate continues today as to who won or lost, because she sent the email to her brother...she hadn't wanted me to 'freak out' hearing from the organization and she wanted to share that news.
The pictures they all shared and the stories they shared were amazing and inspiring. I admired greatly their hard work and courage in making such a journey and was impressed beyond words with the adults who traveled with them and kept them safe and walked with them on this trip.
This was what inspired me and moved me to want to go and see 'what all the fuss was about', so to speak.

So...that was the very beginning of this Malawi interest and endeavor we are on. I will continue with more on the next post!

Zikomo, (Thank you)

Karen

KAREN'S RIDE CONTINUES IN MAINE

So...I am off on another adventure!! I am currently 'scoping out' the route for next year's Karen's ride for Malawi. This past year's bike ride was fun, adventurous, but most of all it was successful in my gaining some support for Malawi. My last blog post was on September 11, and this past Friday was Veteran's Day...a little ironic in one sense. I know my 'cause' is not in gaining money for America, and some people don't like that, but on my 421 mile ride this past September, I gained an increased appreciation for our Country. Because of people's generosity

and willingness to help, that is what makes us such a wonderful nation!! The beauty is something that is unmistakable, as well!! It is so beautiful when I am out on the road; I get to see up close the natural beauty and I witness people from all over living their lives and going about their business as a passerby.
Yesterday I rode about 22 miles (I got lost on the way back, but only by about 3 miles). I took some photos along the way; only a few...these are 'teasers' because I plan to take many more on this ride coming up.
Today I am riding up the Coast to check out the roads and see what might be a good route for me to ride in September. Stephen told me to keep my eyes open for moose, so I plan to have my camera by my side in the car today!

My plan is to ride 500 miles along the Maine coast in September 2012; again, I hope to raise money and awareness about the Country of Malawi and support them in the area of education. We have a big year planned and will be identifying a new project to work towards as our classroom block project is nearing completion. My goal this year on my ride is to do a little bit more in the way of awareness-raising in the form of press and public speaking wherever I can.
My long-term goal is to eventually ride around the country in these small segments, doing the same thing. Raising money and awareness about Malawi and Educate Malawi, Inc.

Stay tuned for more photos and info. about the upcoming ride and the progress Educate Malawi is making in carrying out their mission. As always, if anyone can and wants to ride with me, I am planning to start around September 6th...the Farmer's Almanac looks pretty good for that week's time!

Cheers!

Karen

8 Days completed!

This picture was taken today, September 11, 2011! It's my eighth day of riding for a total of 421 miles! Stephen rode 39 of my last 45 miles with me...we had started out on a route he mapped out on Daily mile. We made it about 12 miles on that route and ended up on a mountain out in Beyden or something I've never heard of! It was beautiful out there...but after riding 55 miles yesterday, the hill kept going and going and going!! We got to something that was maybe close to the top and made a decision not to continue on that route, not knowing what was ahead of us! I was tired and Stephen hasn't ridden his bike in a long time!! We ended up on a familiar route that was pretty and still had a few small hills. We stopped at Dunkin Donuts and were able to watch some of the 9/11 ceremonies...it was nice to be there and be able to witness some of that and take those thoughts with us for the remainder of the ride.

These pictures are backing up to yesterday...we left Vermont at 7:15 a.m. and I got home around noon, and then we were busy all the rest of the day, so I didn't have time to blog at all! It was a little challenging the first 15 miles or so, but I expected that, and then it as just smooth sailing, so to speak! I decided I did not like riding through the towns/cities...Greenfield, Northampton, Holyoke...towns that I have ridden through many times before, but after riding through the mountains and hills...it was very difficult to be with cars!

See....beautiful! This was up at the Vermont/Massachusettls line, Bernardston, MA.

So...I think I just might conclude this blog for today. I know there was more I had to say on the subject, but it has been a long day and a long week, and I want to get this posted. I don't know if I said it but I rode 421 miles total...short of my original goal of 500 miles, but I am not disappointed and do not have any regrets. We brought it a few more donations this week which we are very grateful for and I would love to do another ride like this next year! I enjoyed being out on the road and would love to share that and expand this fundraising effort for anyone who would be willing and able to particiapate! As I said before, I am grateful today to be an American and have the ability to give to others everywhere and anywhere who are in need. I know there are a lot of Americans who feel the same and that makes me proud as well!

God bless us all!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN...FROM NH TO VT!!

So, the rain lasted a little longer than we thought it would...but that's ok - we worked it out!! Stephen and I got up at 4:15 a.m. this morning and got ready to continue (pretty much) where we left off. We started a little further along in New Hampshire than where we left off, but it was still two and a half hours from home! We took this picture on the way up...I hadn't yet started riding, but I don't think we got a picture on Tuesday when we entered New Hampshire the first time! On our way we drove through Northfield, MA and we saw two fawn(s) romping in someone's front yard! We thought they were dogs at first, but as we got closer realized they were just babies!! Very, very cute and playful!!

So, I started riding at 8:30 this morning! We started in Newport, NH and the first 2 and 1/2 miles I thought I was going to die! I was scheduled to ride 47 miles, and I hit a lot of steep hills right away and I was very nervous for the rest of the day. As the ride continued, the roads evened out some and it became a really beautiful ride. The difficult thing is, that when I'm riding, I see all kinds of scenery that I would love to photograph, but if I stop to do that I'll never reach my destination!! The GPS lost the road a little ways into the ride, so we had to stop a few times to check in with each other and coordinate the ride. The GPS really is great, when it works!! And actually, if I were by myself I would do things a little differently than this; Stephen and I have tried to stay together, so we have to make sure we are following the same route...

So, again, we entered Vermont without any notice or signage at all!! I was upset, because I love the photos! I do plan to get a picture tomorrow on the way OUT of Vermont...I'll cross the street and get the Welcome to Vermont picture that way...if there is a sign, that is!!

I have two more days of riding before completing this year's challenge to myself. I have been very grateful for the donations people have sent to support Educate Malawi and this event. I have learned a lot about myself and about this type of fundraiser. I would love to do another one next year and would love to have others join me (us) doing this!! It has been really beautiful and fun!! I am continuing to accept donations for this event: donations can be made on the website: http://www.educate-malawi.org/ or by sending a check made payable to Educate Malawi, Inc. at 86 Connecticut Avenue West Springfield, MA 01089.

I just want to say this last thought; it's one that has been with me since very early in this ride, and being September 9th, close to an important American 'memorial' day, I want to add a thought about America. I am doing this ride to raise money for another country, one that is significantly less well-off than we are here in America. I saw that first-hand on my first trip and was moved to start this organization. I have questioned myself and been questioned by others about giving money and raising money for another country. It is a difficult thing to explain and to even understand. An answer became clear to me this week and that is how I am proud to be an American, am grateful for all the opportunities we have here and our ability to help others. That is what I love about our country; I also believe that it is not who you help it's just that you do.

More tomorrow...I think the first 10 miles will be much like my last 10; hilly and difficult...but rewarding when I've done it! We'll see...

Break due to Rain!

So, we woke up in NH yesterday to the sound of pouring rain! Actually, I had listened to it all night long and watched the clock to see if it was stopping close to morning. It wasn't. We looked at the weather forecast and radar and it did not look good at all for the next 2 days in NH, VT and home! So, we decided to postpone the remaining 3 days of riding and continue when the weather cleared up.

We drove the route that I would have ridden that day and it was very beautiful but very hilly!! Also, it barely rained the whole time we were driving. I was not happy with that at all! Trying to make a safe decision by watching the weather is not an easy task...we did the best we could. I have some rain gear, but in addition to by getting wet I had to consider the conditions on the road (my tires are rather skinny ). Some of the downhills were very steep and I was thinking that my brakes might be challenged to slow down sufficiently. All in all I think we made the best decision we could!

I plan to continue on Thursday, riding 50 miles, then head back up to NH to ride into VT and then home. I do not think I will reach the 500 mile mark, but will ride for 8 days and will ride through 5 New England states as planned!!!

Thank you to those who have sent donations; it is greatly appeciated and will help us continue with completion of this project!

Karen

Day 5 - NEW HAMPSHIRE!

So, we entered New Hampshire with very little fanfare, or notice!! There was no sign…our sign was that we saw more cars with New Hampshire license plates…that’s how we knew! So we stopped and took a picture anyway! I had ridden 35.8 miles and it was 10:28 a.m.!

I have really liked starting riding early…I tend to be a morning person anyway, and that way I am done early! I think that it has been good these last couple days to have a long afternoon to recover and get ready for the next day. Also, I used icy hot last night on my legs and shoulders and swore I could feel the difference in the morning and how I felt. We had a good breakfast this morning at the hotel; waffles, hard boiled egg, coffee, cereal…good fuel for the ride!

We left there, the car was all packed up and Stephen and I coordinated our route for the day. I rode down the parking lot leaving the hotel, got a little confused about which way to turn, stopped to look around and fell over!! Got a nice good cut on my knee to start the day!! Sheesh!

It ended up being a beautiful ride and we were going through the woods and a lot of back roads and not a lot of cars to deal with…just the way I like it! We entered Concord, MA and saw Walden Pond State Park….I am assuming it was The Walden Pond, because I saw Thoreau’s name on a few things in the town…it was very quaint.

So I have decided I want to make a little video about this trip and about the experience and why I am doing it. There has been an overwhelming theme in my mind as I’ve been riding through these towns and thinking about America and Malawi and why I’m doing this and what this all means to me, so check that out if you get a chance!!

We found this very cute place to stay for the night…it’s a Guest House, kind of like a bed and breakfast and a nice change from the standard hotel stay…plus we will get breakfast in the morning, also probably not the standard hotel fare…yummy! Carol and Tom are the owners of this guest house…I couldn’t tell you the names of any of the people who helped us at any other place!! More later!

So, it's a little bit later...haven't made 'the video' yet...lost motivation and got really tired! Maybe tomorrow. We looked up directions for where we want to go tomorrow, and got an idea for the next 3 days. Also, we looked at the weather; it is not looking good Iam very sad to say! We will play it by ear and just do the best we can. I can't ride if it's not safe, that's all there is to say! We will see...I am a bit anxious and hoping for the best! We have worked really hard this week and are very close to the end I would hate to have to stop now...but we will see!!!

Day 4....halfway there!

So, we woke up about 6:00, got our stuff together, had a little coffee and bagel, and got out early. I started riding just about 7:30! About 3 miles into the ride, Stephen turned around and came back to tell me that the bridge was out up ahead, but there were detour signs to get us to the street we were trying to get to. We got there...it felt like a great big circle (or square) of 5 miles that we had to ride to get back on track! During this detour, Stephen saw a deer (which I didn't get to see), but I got to see these awesome tractors! I stopped to take their picture...we were in a lot of remote areas and farm land and fields and it was very peaceful and pretty! So I took these pictures!

The GPS I got for the bike brought me around some really nice back roads. I rode 57 miles today, and because there were a lot of turns, I think that it made the time and the miles go by quickly! I was paying attention to the next 2 miles, or 1.2 miles and before I knew it I had gone 20 miles! I felt pretty good by then, and then I was at 30 miles...decided to stop for a good snack:
I felt pretty good here, and kept riding. We had originally scheduled to ride 50 miles, and we reached that point at 12:06!! It was very exciting and impressive, if I do say so myself!
oh! A very exciting thing I saw, crazy as it might seem, was a hawk swoop down and get a mouse! At first, I wasnt' sure what I had seen...I thought a brach had fallen off a tree. But then as I rode up to where the hawk was he hopped up onto a fence post with a mouse squirming in its beak!! It was kinda cool, then I felt a little bad for the mouse! It really was kind of small, and I wondered how many of those the hawk might need to eat in a day!
So, at 50 miles, we plugged in hotels in the area, and Stephen went and got us a room reservation, so when I hit 57 miles he picked me up and we went and got lunch!!
Going to try to get some rest tonight because I am anticipating the next couple of days being a little difficult heading into New Hampshire!! Stay tuned!

Rhode Island back to MA...east side

It was a beautiful morning to ride...cool, flat roads, light traffic. About 10 miles into the ride, I came to the Mt. Hope bridge. Stephen had seen it first and offered to drive me if I didn't feel comfortable going over it, it was rather big!!! I got the the entrance and saw a sign the said 'Share the Road' with a picture of a car and a bicycle. I took that as my sign and continued on...all the way up the bridge I kept thinking about that sign and hoping the cars saw it too! The bridge was tall, and the railings low and I could see the ocean in my peripheral vision and very much wanted to look and take a picture, but didn't feel like I could stop. I got to the top and it felt wonderful! I thought I might be able to take a picture from the bottom of the bridge, but realized there was no where to stop...so I stopped on the bride and took a quick picture. I was scared...this is what it looked like:So another thing that I have not yet written about that I want to mention, is just what a great support team Stephen has been. On our first day we really struggled to figure out our GPS units; they didn't match up. It was kind of uncomfortable and scary for both of us not knowing how to keep in touch...once we figured that all out, on day 2, it got much better! Now I know he is around...he passes me, waits 5-10 miles up the road depending on where we are, and then I stop and have a snack or wave and go by! It is comforting for both of us and he has been a great support! It has made the days much more enjoyable and I know all I have to worry about is riding! We rented this cute little car for peace of mind, since his car his acting up right now...we are loving this little Nissan!
Today was kind of a light, easy day. I rode 45 miles; we had reservations at a KOA in Middleboro, MA. - we made the reservation on Thursday night knowing that it was a holiday weekend and we didn't want to be left without a place to stay! It is very nice...we have a cute little cabin very similar to one we stayed in in Malawi on our first trip there in 2009. We have had a real nice, smooth day and we are hopeful for more of the same tomorrow. We will head up towards Boston way and plan to stay somewhere around Wayland, MA tomorrow.

Probably the worst part of today was just toward the end of the ride, there was a section of road that was very commercialized and the cars were driving so fast and there were a lot of lights and turns...it was a bit nerve wracking. We ended up getting me another blinky light for my back for added visibility...we both feel better about that! More tomorrow...gonna go try to rest for now!

Day 2 - In Rhode Island!

So, these are some pictures of Malawi; in the photo on the left I am at a committee meeting with the school officials and the building committee. You can see some of the school children who attended the meeting and some of them partcipated in the pen pal exchange we held with 2 different groups of students. The photo on the right is the inside of the classroom block and shows the progress that has been made. They have begun to cement the floors and need to plaster the wall and add some doors! I was thinking about these kids today when I was riding and thinking that this is why I am doing what I'm doing. So, I thought I would share this as a reminder to those who maybe don't know, or have forgotten! :)

So, Stephen and I have had some adventures today, again! Yesterday we thought we had the whole navigation thing down, and thought today would just be a ride...didn't expect any glitches...don't know why, because things just don't go that way in life, right?

We started out at about 8:00 and made pretty good time to Mystic, and didn't have to go over the big bridge at all...it was a pretty ride, and pretty uneventful! That was about 22 miles. We were planning to get to Middletown, RI which would have been another 60 miles from there. When we planned this ride and drove it using our car GPS, the route took us up Route 1 into RI which was a beautiful ride; it was flat and scenic! Today, however, we opted to use the bike GPS and the route was different. We decided to stick with that and work it out the way we have been. Stephen jotted down the route that I use on my GPS and some of the mile markers for about 22 miles wort from Mystic...this is what has been working for us so far. About a mile down the road, I took a wrong turn, the GPS started recalculating, I went back to the route I was supposed to be on. The map wasn't loading, so I decided to input the route again and waited for it to load, and waited and waited AND WAITED! I called Stephen and when he caught up, we discussed what the issue might be. I continued to ride and figured it would probably load soon...it didn't. Long story short, it never did! So, we decided to use the directions he had jotted down and that got us as far as Voluntown, CT., where we found a small local library that advertised internet access, and consulted them on how far Middletown, RI was.

Here I am riding toward Stephen in Voluntown!! The ride was about 20 miles from here, and we decided that that would be the goal for the day...60 miles, then we would put the car up and drive to the hotel! And that's what we did. It was only a short distance down the road from here that we entered Rhode Island...that was encouraging and exciting. And again, Stephen was waiting there with his camera to take 'the picture'! He knew...here it is!

Well, I want to say that it is not all wonderful...Shannon said it sounded like I was on vacation...because when I talked to her yesterday from the hotel and was so happy to be hanging out on the bed watching t.v. after having taken a shower and getting ready to to eat dinner!! So, it's not a vacation...we both work hard and both days, so far, at around the 25-30 mile mark I could not believe how 'little progress' I felt we had made and couldn't believe there was another hill so soon!!! Anyway...the point is, we are working in different ways, and finding some appreciation for the small things of the day that make up for all the rest!!
Hopefully tonight I will sleep a little better...tossed and turned last night until about 2:30 and then woke up at 6...
More tomorrow!! Maybe - we will be staying at a KOA campground and won't have internet so unless we stop at someplace with wi-fi, we won't have access. That's the other thing we have decided, that we need to update our technology some more! whew!

1 down 7 to go!!

So here we are in Norwich, CT...I will start at the beginning:

I left the house around 7:45 this a.m. - it was a little hard to leave; I felt like I was leaving my 'comfort zone' into a big unknown, which it was! The first 20 miles or so was nice. I knew where I was, had riden on those roads before and was able to tell Stephen where he was (his GPS sent him a different route than my bike one did!). oh, I stopped to take this picture, because I was going into a different State than I left from.

I took these pictures myself since Stephen wasn't there...I pretended (in my head) that I was from another State (other than MA) and that's why I was taking a picture in front of the CT sign...it's only 9.2 miles from my house!!

So, it was pretty uneventful untel about...Windsor - I called Stephen to see where he was, and his GPS sent him into Springfield and the to East Longmeadow...I was in Windsor at that point, so got him to catch up with me. I was on Route 5 South...then I turned onto Sullivan Avenue, so called to tell him to catch up with me. He didn't show up, didn't show up, so I stopped again to call him and his phone went right to voice mail. I called back and it did the same thing. He had only been about 4-5 miles behind me, so I thought for sure with all this that he had been in a car accident and I would have to ride back to find him! I got through on the 3rd try, thankfully, and he was somewhere else I don't know where. By this time I was down by Evergreen Shops, and gave him that address...I rode down into the shopping area and took a picture there:

This is me with a picture of CHICOS in the background...if I thought I had time, I would have gone shopping!!!

This was the last picture I took for the day...not even one at the end of the day! I will get better I think taking pictures of the route...when there is a little more scenery. This was 28 miles from home at 10:13 a.m.

So, Stephen met me and we talked about what we would do. We decided that our directions were different, but the ending would be the same so we decided to go our own way. I continued riding, and it was getting hotter. I started hitting some hills, and hadn't seen Stephen for a little bit, and then I was going up this one hill, and my chain fell off! I came to a standstill, and couldn't get my feet out of the clips and almost fell off my bike onto a squashed racoon on the side of the road! I walked up the hill a little ways and tried to get the chain back on and couldn't. I called Stephen and when we tried to determine where we each were, I couldn't remember the route I was on, and hadn't figured out that the coordinates are on my GPS...it was not a pretty sight!!! Long story short, I got the chain on, figured out where I was so I could tell Stephen, and started on my way. There were an increasing number of hills, it was getting hotter and my legs were really tired, and it was about noon and I had gone about 40 miles! This was the turning point of the day...the point when my expectations were challenged and realized that I did not calculate properly and that it might be more difficult than I thought. When Stephen caught up with me, I stopped and ate some food and had some gatorade. From that point on for the rest of the day it was 'downhill' - I got a handle on my thoughts and began just taking the roads as they came, so to speak! I decided that my brain might be my biggest challenge and needed to pay attention to my thoughts and my body and keep my thoughts on a positive note and accepting of what IS and ride in a way that doesn't tax my body too much; I need to slow down and take hills easy so I don't burn out.

ok..enough of that. I rode for another 21 miles and it went by rather quickly and uneventfully and I felt like I 'hit my stride' and almost could have kept going! But we didn't...we met up, put my bike on the rack and went to find a place to stay for the night! We were just past Colchester at that point and stopped at a real nice campground, and were told that most of the campgrounds in the area had no electricity and some had no water due to the storm. So, we ended up in a Holiday Inn and it's rather nice! I had a nice shower, had a good dinner and then we were able to chill out for several hours! We booked the next 2 night's stays along the route, and actually had to change some of where we originally wanted to go. It is Labor Day weekend, and we are having a hard time finding availability, even at campgrounds!! Glad we thought of it tonight...didn't think it would be this big of a problem...bad thinking on our parts!!

But, it will all work out I don't have any doubt. I have a long day tomorrow...maybe 80, though it should be fewer hills, so might not be as gruelling! (sp?)

Stay tuned for more adventures!

Karen

Tomorrow....I ride!

So, I am mostly packed...had my pasta, and am almost ready to rest for the night. I wanted to put out a quick last post for the day and ask any and all of you who read this to pray for my safety. I like to ask people to include drivers in their prayers...that they see me and don't hit me! Sometimes when I am riding in really narrow areas and roads, those are prayers I say...for the drivers!

Here is a picture of my half-packed stuff! My bags are packed on the back of the bike, and clothes in the back pack. I have various other items on the table that need to go somewhere.
We plan to camp when we can, so have some hot chocolate and coffee and oatmeal and all that gear we are bringing also.
So...I think I will go dream of the road, and try to sleep before the Big Day tomorrow!!
Thank you all who have supported me in all the ways you have, financially, morally, prayer-wise, and encouraging me in this endeavor. I do not know how I will fare, but will soon find out. I do know that without the support I have received I would not be doing this.
Thank you all!
Karen

COUNTDOWN

My last item that I wanted/needed!! Shoe covers! My mother asked if there was anything I needed, and I said, 'well, I don't really need them, but shoe covers would be nice for possibly

cold mornings, but they were really expensive, so I will make due without!'. So, she found these for me!!! I am so happy and they are perfect! Even better than the really expensive ones that I found online!! Thanks Mom!

So, I rode 31.39 miles this morning at an average speed of 14.4 miles an hour - 2 hours and 10 mins! Not bad...might be the last ride before Thursday...I may do a few little miles on Wed., but we'll see how I feel! I am really getting excited and trying to imagine the experience...got my bike mostly ready; I added a nice light that I bought to the handle bars...pretty full up there!

I got my odometer/tackometer (don't know if I made up that word), my GPS and a fabulos light that has several different settings...I put it on the outside so that cars would know I am there
for sure...on the left-er side of my handlbars. I put a nice blinky light on the back of my rack. I've started getting my clothes together and thinking about all the accessories we will need to bring along - we might be camping some, so I took out some Folder's singles...they are always good on cold mornings camping. The first time we had them we were camping on our bikes...that was one of my favorite weekends ever!!!

So....I am going to buy my gel packs today and we think we will be renting a car...it was not in our plan originally, but Stephen's car is a bit questionable, so we don't want to risk it! oh well...it's only green paper, as my friend says (money), and we really should have a reliable car.

Stay tuned...I may not write again until Thursday a.m. but...it'll be here quick!

p.s. We will have the laptop with us, therefore, have access to internet along the way...write or comment on photos or blogs...email is good too!

Best,

Karen

Irene arrives

Well, today is the hurricane day...the day we have been watching for and waiting for all week. It is 7 a.m. and we are watching the news thinking that it may not be much longer before we don't have electricity so thought I would drop a a quick post.

I am getting ready in my mind for the ride that starts Thursday. Stephen and I feel pretty comfortable with our plan for keeping in touch and knowing where each other is during the time I am riding. Maybe today I will start laying out my clothes and gear for the ride so that I'm ready. I need to bring my bike in for one last 'check-up.

So, because I will be riding around New England and along the coast in some areas, I am a little concerned about the condition of roads and the damage that I may find along the way. I suppose it's even possible that some roads may be impassable. I know I will figure it out when I get there!
I am considering a long-ish first day and riding straight through to Mystic...it would be about 80 miles; that would be a great start! We have talked about having a few long days in the beginning, then maybe even taking a day to not ride and rest a little bit.
So, as the week goes on I may post a few more reminders and thoughts as I get ready to go! If you have not already, please consider a donation; I am riding 500 miles and raising money for a cause I believe deeply in and wishing to complete our project that we have worked hard on for 2 years now! Stay tuned!
Best,
Karen

ONE WEEK TO GO!!

So, I got back from Malawi on Thursday afternoon, and then Saturday we went to the Easthampton Outdoor Market, with some of our new inventory to sell, and I took my bike out for a ride!
I rode 15 miles, and thought as I started that the saying is always appropriate…’it’s like riding a bike’…no matter how much time passes, I get on the bike and I am ‘one’…I love being on it and the feeling while I’m riding. In 12 days I will begin my big long ride…about 60 miles a day for 8 days!! And, as if that’s not all enough, in about a month we are moving!!! So, we are beginning to pack and clear out our house!!
I love riding because it gives me time to think…not that I don’t think at other times, because I spend a fair share of time thinking…this is different. It is a more passive type of thinking, where I just let my brain go where it wants and float, so to speak.

So, I have now been out on the bike 3 times in less than a week, and have just a week to go before the big ride. Stephen and I were talking about it and plan to stay as 'cheaply' as possible which might include camping along the way. I feel pretty good and pretty good about the ride!!

I have raised some good money, but would LOOVVVEE to raise some more, so if anyone hasn't donated, please consider even a small donation...even a lot of small donations add up to a lot!

TO DONATE VISIT THE WEBSITE: http://www.educate-malawi.org/ THANK YOU!

Hope to write some more later...

HOME AGAIN HOME AGAIN!!!

So....I stepped off the plane in Hartford yesterday (Thur.) at about 1:20 p.m. I began taveling on Wed. at about 1:09 p.m. Mind you, there is a 6 hour time difference, which makes the trip, for me, about 30 hours. That is better than my flight TO Malawi...which was seriously about 2 days!!

The airport I left from was really small...I don't know if you can make it out, but there are people just outside the airport, looking at the luggage. When you step into this airport, the conveyer belt is to your immediate right. Your luggage goes through a 'scanner', whick I'm not sure actually scans anything, and you collect it at the end. You then walk approximately 10 steps to the counter, where you get your ticket. They perform all the tasks any other airport does, it's just on a much smaller and a bit less sophisticated scale. I went through a security check point where they frisk you and look in your carry on luggage, then on to the waiting room. They ask you to check outside to identify your luggage before they load it on the plane. When it was time to board the plane, they make sure that you have identified your luggage; by the time I go on there was still a pile out on the tarmac unidentified. Some people don't know how to follow directions I have discovered! Oh, and the other 'funny' thing is...the plane we got on,, had just arrived and was the only plane out there...one plane at a time, is how this airport functions!

I flew for 2 hours to Johannesburg where I spent the next 7 and a half hours...It really went by rather quickly, thankfully! I had some coffee, a little food, and did some homework...getting ready to return to school. The next leg of the journey would be the longest...7-8 hours flying to Dakar, Senegal, then onto the U.S. We spent an hour on the ground in Senegal, and I was able to see outside because it was 6 a.m., and light out. We had landed there several times before and never seen what it looked like, it looks very nice and my 'seatmate' said that it is a very peaceful city and beautiful; anything right on the ocean is bound to have some beauty. oh, another noteworthy item about those last 7-8 hours...we ate 'dinner' at about 12 a.m., and the movies did not work!!! They said they were going to try to re-boot the system to get them working, which they tried and it did not work!! So, we left Dakar and onto our next stop 8 hours over the ocean to Washington!! Again, the movies did not work...I was able to sleep a bit on these flights, ate, did a little reading, which made me tired so I closed my eyes some more...

And the rest is history...I arrived at Bradley, met Stephen on my way to the luggage...and my bag came right out. I have had an opportunity to unpack and as far as I can tell, nothing is missing. All in all, a very successful travel experience and trip! I began working on a sight uploading photos and video, and will continue that, so stay tuned and check it out:

www.malawiphotos.shutterfly.com

My next adventure starts in about 11 days...riding my bike 500 miles around New England trying to raise funds for Educate Malawi! If you have not already done so, please support my effort and a donation of any size will be greatly appreciated. You can donate on the website or by check, made out to Educate Malawi, Inc. and all donations are tax deductible!

Stay tuned for more adventures!

See you all soon!

August 15, 2011


This might be the last entry I make as my trip is winding down…today is the second to last day here in Blantyre. Today is Monday, and I leave Wed. afternoon…so I will wind down my thoughts for this trip.

An observation that I have made on this trip was while Mathew and I were in the village, we were having lunch with his family. Several times during the meal, different people asked the young children to fetch more of something or to clear some dishes away. When I say young children, I am talking 4 or 5 years old. And they did as they were asked without a second thought. There seems to be a much stronger order and respect for elders than we experience in the U.S. In addition, the way the women carry their babies on their back and very close to them always, I think creates a much stronger bond…that closeness can’t help but increase the bond and trust between mother and child.

A last note that I have jotted down was from my meeting with Norma and Fortune, the two girls who received the scholarships. We met a couple of times and I asked them if they would have any interest in corresponding with college students in the U.S. or if any of their friends might want to. A couple of days passed and when we got together again they said that the response they received from the others was that they didn’t have time to write letters and would rather use facebook or twitter. I had supplied them with addressed envelopes and stamps. I was a little disappointed and surprised, but I realized that it makes sense, who doesn’t like technology and instant connection? So I asked if they wanted to see if they would be interested in passing that information along, maybe we could follow up some time in the future.
So, I think I will wrap this up, because I have written just about all the thoughts that I have right now. I have several days left before I return home, 1 more here and then essentially 30 hours of travelling over the 2 days after that.

The last thing I want to say is a huge Thank you to all who have taken the time to write to me and help me stay connected through this time. Some of you have also shared that you have read my blog, which was encouraging and helped me continue writing, thank you. I will see you all back on the other side of the pond!

Getting to the end!

I want to use some different font this morning to make me feel a little better. I did not complete what I wanted to last night on the blog because I ended up chatting with Shannon and Stephen on Facebook…I really enjoyed chatting with them both; it made me feel a bit more like home! So I was going to get up and spend the morning this morning working on the blog…I started uploading some videos first on Facebook, it said the video would take an hour to upload, so I decided I would go bathe while that was working. I came back, feeling refreshed and clean and the computer was frozen. So I made my way out of that and now the computer will not connect to the internet at all!!! It is just par for Malawi…nothing is quick, simple or as expected…I am hoping that a little rest and time, the internet will reappear! So I am typing this on my flash drive, so when the time comes, I can copy and paste it into the Blog…there’s more than one way to skin a cat!!
I started writing last night about some random thoughts, so I will continue that. The next note I had jotted down had to do with the education situation here. I went up to the office to meet our contact, Oster, and had to wait for a while. I noticed there were job postings on the boards in the front of the building…a lot of them. A young man came in and was reading them; I asked him if he was looking for a job, and he said he was just reading them. He said he is a teacher at a rural school in Zomba where there are 700 students with 6 qualified teachers. This is not an uncommon occurrence at all; in fact, it is the norm. This is why we started doing what we are doing, to help assist in some way with these conditions. I left the office for a few minutes to go to the post office and while I was on the back,
Oster stopped and picked me up on his motorcycle!! Later in the week we rode all the way out to the school on it…it was fun!


Ok, so some other observations…..music…I am not the music wiz, but I do know oldies! There is a lot of old music that gets played…in the car Mathew and I listened to and old Lionel Richie cd repeatedly…it is still stuck in my head! One day walking into town in Zomba, I passed a store playing the Backstreet Boys…and old one; actually I don’t know if there are any new ones!! One day we were listening to the radio and the announcer was talking about the late 60’s and all the hippies that were around then. It was just funny to hear that reference here; I don’t’ know if they had Malawian hippies?
On the way to the school, there is a section of the road that is paved and it looks like there is ongoing construction on it. On the sides of the roads are piles of rocks…being made into gravel. There were several people on the side using a hammer to smash the large rock into small gravel…by hand in the hot sun, for hours all day. They are not in prison working for penance or anything, and I doubt they get a lot of money at all for that hard work!!
People are very friendly here; sometimes I think they look at me suspiciously and almost….I don’t know the word…but I have found that if I say good morning or smile it usually gets returned. Many times people say hello to me first; walking into town one morning, I think the same morning as the Back Street Boys song, a man on a bicycle was coming around the corner and as he approached and passed me he said, ‘good morning sister, how are you?’ I responded in kind and it just put a smile on my face to be greeted that warmly by a stranger!
When I walk around with Mathew or Leah here in Malawi, we can hardly walk a block without them running into someone they know, and we stop and chat. Well, I felt like a Malawian the other day, twice! I met a man at the motel and we ate breakfast together; he was in Zomba doing some work related to HIV, and I passed him on the street and we greeted each other. It was nice to see someone I recognized on the street! Then another day, I was walking to the College, and ran into Bernard, a friend who we met through other friends of ours from Malawi. We greeted each other and he asked where I was going; I told him and he gave me a ride! It was very nice. That is the other thing; there is very much community and people helping each other here in a way that is different from the U.S. Maybe it is the Northeast; we do have a reputation, apparently, of being cold and unfriendly.

On that similar note; I was at Bernard’s office, he works in an insurance office, and a customer came in complaining about something. I later learned that he was a minibus driver and had gotten a ticket from the police for not having proper insurance coverage and he didn’t have the money to pay the ticket, and was saying it was a mistake by the insurance company. Bernard took him (and I went with them) to talk to the police about the matter. We first stopped at the police ‘department’ or headquarters and they directed us to where the police were, out of the road. The police sit on the road in numbers, several will sit in a particular location and randomly stop cars and check for license and insurance and just generally check on the direction of the vehicle and their purpose for the travel. We pulled off the side of the road at one of these stops and Bernard and the man got out to talk with the police. Bernard is the insurance agent, mind you. Actually he is a regional branch manager, so I think even higher than just an agent! He wanted to clear the matter up and make sure it was not a mistake on his office’s part and was willing to accompany this man to find out the pertinent information. I couldn’t believe the length he went to in order to find out the truth of the matter. In the end, I think the man was found to be in violation and his ticket was not cleared. He was angry when he got back in the car and was saying that the police ‘just take things personally and judge you before they know the facts. They don’t like to admit if they are wrong’. So, we headed back toward the office and to drop the man off at where his vehicle was, and Bernard wanted to show me his house he is building. The man just had to come along with us. I asked him if he would take a picture of us in front of the house, and he did, though he looked upset still about
his insurance situation.

On this trip, I saw two men, different times and places, peeing on the side of the road. They were right out in the open, without a second thought…one of them was an old man and he was right outside Bernard’s house! Not something you see like that in the U.S. People shake their heads about it, but you don’t get arrested for it!
A few more thoughts…I have kept track of my spending and money, and wanted to pass along some information of cost of items…people always ask if things are more or less expensive here, and I guess the best answer is that it depends on what the item is. For example, my hotel room in Zomba was the executive unit, it had 2 twin beds, a bathroom in the room, tile floor, and tv (which didn’t work) and a coffee station. The room was mostly comfortable, it had a great mosquito net with no holes in it, and a ceiling fan, which worked when there was electricity! The room cost me about $19 per night, so that is not bad at all especially considering that was the most expensive!! Oh yeah, and that included breakfast every day; tea, 1 egg, chips (fried potatoes) and bread…not bad!
Gas, on the other hand, is a different story…let me see if I can do the math:
It costs 290 kwacher per liter
There are 3.7 liters in gallon and 180 kwacha per dollar (that is the rate I got)
So…290 x 3.7 = 1073 / 180 = 5.96…if my math is right, that means that gas cost $5.96 per gallon here!!!
So, there is some difference for ya! We cannot complain when we pay, what, $3.70 per gallon? And we have money in the U.S.!!
I paid $4,000 kwacha a day for the car rental = $22 per day, plus 20 kwacha per mile, plus gas. I think it was the gas that killed the whole thing, really! So it was not cheap, but it was better than the minibus!
A coca cola cost about 100 kwacha = about .55.
I have paid 1,800 mk for a pizza, which is about comparable, about $10, it may even cost more here!

So.. that is it for today...I had pictures to accompany this entry, but i am now low on internet minutes...hard to explain. So I will have to bypass that for right now! More tomorrow!

Scholarships!

So, I haven't quite figured out all the ins and outs of Blogger and all this...but I had wanted this picture to be lower in the blog post...It is a poster of our current and last President's...the one of Bush is about all his...sayings, goof-ups of sayings; it was pretty funny! That was about the only thing on the walls in the dining area at the motel. I ordered an egg sandwich for breakfast, which turned out to be one 'fried' egg and 2 pieces of bread with butter. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but it's just that you don't always get what you expect here...

A photo from my room last night after the electricity went out. I was prepared, as this is not an uncommon occurence, and promptly pulled out my head lamp and proceeded with my evening. It was only out for a short time, maybe an hour, but you never know how long it will be out, or when it's going to go! I was able to connect with home last night; internet connection has been good, if I haven't already said so. I bought a external internet connection device called a Dong; it looks just like a flash drive and is used exactly the same way. It has been my best friend!!

Being by myself is mostly ok, and I do talk to myself because I love to talk!! Anyone who knows me I think will agree! I have been able to share pictures and type this without being concerned about how many units are left and how long it will take for photos to upload...a little luxurious!

I want to take a moment to add, right here, on this note, that there is not much that I would consider luxurious by American standards. I was really happy that the hot pot in my room worked and I was able to make a cup of coffee in my room using the Ricoffy that I bought at the store today...those things are the best! Let's see, what else, oh! I haven't had a hot shower since I left home about 10 days ago...but I don't think I really smell too bad. What else...well, there is a t.v. in the room I am in (it's considered an executive suite because it has a bathroom in it). An employee of the motel took the remote control because I told him it didn't work. When he brought it back this afternoon, he said that the tv. is controlled by the t.v. in the bar, so whtever they are watching is what shows up on the room t.v., so my remote control unit won't work no matter what! Plus, the volume doesn't work on my t.v.,so I can see the picture, but not hear anything!

So I am happy to have the luxury of my phone and the laptop and ability to maintain contact with home...it has been helpful to hear from people who write me and comment on photos, etc. I have to say, that although I have been here 3 times before this, it has been challenging for me, so especially important to hear from friends and family. Thank you to those of you who have stayed in touch, I really appreciate it a lot!

So after breakfast, i made my way down to the college, Chancellor College. The funny story of that trip, was that I wasn't entirely sure where I was going...I was in the area, but at one intersection I wasn't sure if I should turn left or right. I turned right, then after walking a ways, I thought it didn't look like the right way, and as I passed 2 women, I heard one say quietly, 'she was just walking that way and now she is going this way...' I turned around and said, 'that's because she's lost', in a funny way...so the woman kindly told me I had been going the right way afterall!

I met with the heads of the Education department and we talked about the scholarships for the next semester, whenever that is. There is a lot of unrest in the Country right now and all areas seem to be affected in some way. I then got to meet the women who received these last 2 scholarships we awarded and we talked for a little while and I took pictures and some video to share with people back home. I think they were as excited to meet me as I was to meet them! It was a special day for me...

Well, that is all for now; I have to go finish my dinner! Will write more later!

Zomba

So I have left Cape Maclear and am onto the next phase of this trip...Zomba.

We saw a lot of cows on this trip...I do not remember seeing so many cows before! They were either crossing the road or walking along the side of it! I have deemed them 'good luck'; I may have said it before but I'm saying it again!!

We stopped at the school on the way into Zomba and picked up some of the pen pal letters; the kids are really sweet when they are turning them in. I am taking pictures of them, so the kids back home can see who wrote to them. It is a fun exchange and seems to be special to them all.

I also plan to spend some time at the college learning a little more about the students and this particular college. I will take pictures of the women we awarded scholarships to the last semester and collect any applications for this upcoming semester.

More later!!

Vendors

Yup...Blogger was tired!! The top photo is Chicco and the bottom one is Stuart! In my previous post I spoke about who they are and what they do and then some of my thoughts about the process of sales here in Cape Maclear, Malawi!

Enjoy...and let me know your thoughts, if you like!!

Last day in Cape Maclear

Well, this has been a productive and quick trip to Cape Maclear. I have had an opportunity to get to know Mathew's family a little better than I did before. I was able to enjoy the sunsets and coffee by the Lake...nothing better than that! I did some 'shopping' here but also spent some time talking with some of the artisans to gain a better understanding of the process they go through in making and selling their crafts for a living. I spoke with Stuart and Chicco about what they do and how they work. They both said some of the same things but there were also some differences. They talked about where they get their supplies and that they have to travel to get materials to make the jewelry and carvings. They talked about the variation in pricing based on the availability of materials as well as the season. Cape Maclear very much depends on tourists and people from the outside to come here where the crafts can be purchased. They both talked about wishes they had for the future and they both included more money in that wish. School and a better life and job are things that they wished for. One difference I noticed is that one of the artisans felt that he mostly received a fair wage for his products and items he sells while the other did not feel that he received enough. We have participated recently in a Cultural Survival bazaar and the vendors that participate in that fair are expected to support fair trade in their purchasing and selling. We were able to participate in this fair with some expectation of learning more about fair trade and the vedors that we purchase items from. So after speaking with these artisans I continue to contemplate he concept of fair trade. A friend of mine recently returned to the U.S. from Malawi and she inquired some about wages and how artisans felt about the compensation they receive for their crafts, and she found that there was some confusion about that question and concept.

So I am wondering now about the whole fair trade concept and feel that it is, to some degree, a subjective thing. Because 'fair' my be different to every person. If you were to extend the definition to include abiltity to pay for living expenses, one could argue what that even means. I am not a sociologist, economist, or anthropoligist by any means, but my thought is that it may be difficult to truly determine what is fair. If one vendor feels that 100 kwacha is fair and he is able to support himself and/or family while another wants 1000 kwacha or the same item...which is truly fair?

The whole barter system is difficult for me anyway, because I don't like to haggle...I don't like to offend anyone, but I also like fairness...it is truly one of my least favorite things. The irony about that is that my friend from Malawi and I were talking about this one day and she said she prefers the barter system to the American system of set pricing. She doesn't feel it is fair for there not to be an opportunity to get a lower price.


So....I have just tried to upload a picture of each of the vendors but I guess Blogger does not want to upload anymoreright now...it's tired.

I will try to post more later today or tomorrow!

So long for now!!

I DID IT!!!!

August 6, 2011

So...I finally broke down and rented a car for the long trip from Blantyre to Cape Maclear...it took about 5 hours to drive! I did not do it all by myself, I am not quite that brave. Mathew has been an extrodinary host, friend, guide and all-around perfect gentleman this whole week. I am eternally grateful for his help and support, and I'm sure Stephen feels the same, since he is not here with me!

So, my headline has to do with the fact that I Drove in Malawi!!! A car...on the right side of the car on the left side of the road!!

We started out in Blantyre at 6:30 a.m. and drove to Zomba. While in Zomba, we met with the committee at the school who consisted of the village chiefs, education officials, some teachers, children and the building committee including the contractor. I took photos of the project, which is looking amazing, and also of the committe. I showed the whole committee the video that a fourth grader made and gave to us. He participated in the pen pal program from the Sunderland Elementary School. I thought I had posted it on our website, but I just looked and it is not there. BUT HERE IT IS!!! On YouTube, check it out if you get a chance!!

'Ben's malawi movie' - it's really good!!!


http:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06X1H16QkaU//


So, after that meeting, Mathew and I got in the car and set off for Cape Maclear. We had fuel, which is a big deal...Malawi has been struggling getting access to adequate amounts of fuel. At one point it was gas (petrol) that was scarce and currently it is diesel which is a problem. We have seen lines running down the street of people waiting for fuel, just on the rumor that it would be available that day. I wish I could adequately describe the experience of driving in these conditions. Well, I call them 'conditions'; what I mean is just driving her in Malawi, another country different from ours. Once I started, I just had to pay attention to staying on the left. That was not as difficult as navigating the left side of the car and road; it was difficult for me to judge the distance because usually I'm sitting on that side of the car next to the side of the road!! 2 things that were helpful to me; Mathew alerted me if I was getting close, and sometimes I knew it because I could hear the gravel or dirt when I was too close to that side.

There are people and animals walking or riding bicycles on both sides of the road, and they often swerve or jet out unexpectedly. While Stephen and I were here last year, the truck we were drving in hit a goat that ran across the road at an unfortunate time...I can still hear his little bleet as he was hit!! And while Mathew was driving the other day, the same happened with a chicken...yuck!! He kind of laughs at me, but I don't care!! I almost stopped the car a couple of times while I was driving because of the goats...fortunately there weren't any other cars around, so I was able to do that. In another circumstance I may have to make a different decision; I pray that doesn't happen. But I have to say, the goats are not the brightest and I am almost getting annoyed with them for not taking better care of themselves!! ha ha ha, I just heard that silliness!

So....we drove. And drove...the roads were paved and in pretty good condition, really. It was just a really long drive and a bit tedious. We were stopped at police checkpoints a couple of times, once while Mathew was driving and once for me. While I was stopped the policeman asked if I had a Fanta (soda) and I said no, I don't have any Fanta. I did have a Coke, but didn't want to offer it :) After we pulled away Mathew said he had wanted some money; I said he didn't ask and I had a feeling that's what he wanted. I was glad he didn't push it because I like my money to and don't like to give it away in that manner!!!

Three times during our trip, cows crossed the road in front of us and I deemed that our good luck signal; I dont' know why, it's just what I thought of! We were getting a little low on gas by the time we were approaching Cape Maclear and stopped at a couple of stations outside of the village to check and see if we could top it off. There was no gas and one stations said there my be some tomorrow...We have a 5 liter container in the trunk of the car as a back up...but I would rather not chance all that. The gas gauge does not work and there isn't a precise (sp?) km/gallon number for us to use to calculate, so we want to make sure we get back ok.

It has taken me several days to settle into the pace of Malawi again and the experience of being 'alone' here. A fortunate thing that differs this time is that we made arrangements and I have very good access to internet on this trip that is a huge difference from previos trips. I feel like it's 'cheating' in some way, and cheapening the experience of being in a third world comfort by having this luxury, but...well, I have had the other and did not want to do it again!


Thank you all for your support. Please pray for our continued safe travels!

Best,

Karen

August 4...day 2 in Malawi

So, I am back in Malawi and it is hard to believe. It is a different scenario, for sure, being here by myself. I am able to have contact with home, so that makes things a little better. I am beginning to formulate the days as far as what I will do and when. As with anything, anywhere, ‘you can plan, but don’t plan the outcome’!

I am staying with a friend for a few days in Blantyre and we spent some time talking last night. Every time I come to Malawi, I learn a little bit more about this country but I think most importantly, I learn more about myself and the world at large. I mean, I guess I sometimes forget that ‘people are people’ and that there are a lot of the same issues no matter where you go. We were talking about everything from politics to education to relationships….and I think I always want to generalize about the country’s people and I’m continually reminded that there is not one generalization about anyone!

Had a really bad night’s sleep; a bit of insomnia; I couldn’t get to sleep until after 2 a.m.! So, today will be a little relaxed and trying to rest up before I get this trip rolling into gear! I have a few things l want to accomplish while here, but think I will have plenty of down time as well.
So…I guess I will write more later; not much going on yet, but wanted to post a couple of updates for anyone who might be interested. Will write more when there is more to say!

Bye for now!

August 2 - still traveling!!

August 2, 2011

Stephen brought me to the airport on Monday afternoon; we were supposed to leave between 4 and 4:30, and left closer to 4:30. We got as far as exit 49 on I91, and I realized I did not have my camera charger; which would mean when my camera battery died, I couldn’t charge it!!
We turned around and got it and just as we started back out, the skies opened up; it rained a lot of the way to New York, then dried up some. It was some pretty crazy weather. The GPS saved us a lot…had we not had it to warn us of severe traffic ahead and re-routed us, I probably would not have made my flight!! But, we listened to it, and made it with a little time to spare. I got a bit teary leaving Stephen at the security check-point…it was a bit overwhelming and scary; it’s a BIG world!!
I made it on the plane without a hitch at security or anything; I am always concerned about the carry on luggage, but it wasn’t even a question apparently. I did have to pay for a second checked bag, which I have never had to do before and didn’t like. I didn’t have a choice, so paid the $50! I got to my seat and was on an isle and there was a woman on the opposite isle with 2 seats in between us. No one ended up sitting at any of those, and then she ended up moving somewhere so I had 4 seats all to myself!! Talk about spoiled!! I probably won’t get that lucky again, but I did enjoy it!
The flight was uneventful; I watched one good movie, and dinner was served at about 12:30, then I slept a bit; about 3 hours on and off. Then they were serving a small breakfast just before we landed!!! It went quite fast. And then time came to a stand still….I have now been in Frankfurt Germany for what feels like forever…it has only been…well, I don’t even know. My time schedule is so screwed up, I don’t know what time I got here or what time it is now!!! I guess we got here a little before noon, and it is now almost 5:30; the plane doesn’t board until 8:00!!! I had a little tour of the city and got myself a ‘frankfurter and a beer’ in Frankfurt…I can’t get enough of that; I even asked a lady to take a picture of me!! So…I saw some of the buildings and museums; I guess Franfurt is really more of a business city than a tourist city, but that’s ok, I have now been to Frankfurt!!
Well, next stop, Johannesburg for a 2 hour layover then on to Malawi; it will be tomorrow afternoon by the time I land there. I am glad the flight home isn’t this long; I will be ready to get home and would have a really hard time with that if I had to deal with it!!
More when I can!

Karen

July 31, 2011

Tomorrow I leave for my 4th trip to Malawi....I am traveling alone this time and am anxious and excited about the experience. I hope to see a lot of people I have met before and learn more about the country and develop and expand our organzation in the direction that will best meet our mission.

We have met so many amazing people that I have high hopes for future expansion and progress on our work there. Eduacation comes in many forms and I feel that I gain more education in so many areas every time I travel there.

Stephen and I rode our bikes this morning; part of my last ditch effort at training for the Big ride a week after my return from Malawi! Yikes!! The picture above is from our ride this morning...

Will write more when I can! Hopefull before a MONTH goes by!!

Karen

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