Back to the Blog...Designing and formatting is the first step, no?

I am embarrassed to say how many years it has been since I have been to this blog, but the savvy techno-wizards you undoubtedly are, you will be able to see from the archives below. Well, the first attempt at a blog from my trip around the world pre-graduate school didn't go so well.  So what makes this time different?? Maybe a few things...

Last time, technology was a little bit of a hurdle, especially since I was moving from city to city and country to country so often. This time I will be staying (well, actually living) in one place -  Lusaka, Zambia -  which should help me to blog on a regular basis. I promise to write more about what I will be up to in Lusaka in the next post. Secondly, albeit probably the greatest of hurdles, back in 2008, I was a technological dinosaur. Never having a friend who blogged, let alone an understanding for the personal reasons for doing so, I never prioritized writing my thoughts down at the end of the day. Hey, I could just tell everyone the stories when I returned, no? Aha, but this time, after being reintegrated into the land of modern technology through my graduate student life, I now not only understand the importance of a blog for personal growth and chronicle, but also see it as a primary means for information sharing. Heck, I even have a twitter account now! (Note to self: next step - gain some followers for this blog and said twitter account). Finally, there is the added inspiration that comes from good 'ole competition. Okay, so blogging is not really a competitive sport, but the fact that this time there will be a few others from the Mennonite Economic Development Associates (heretofore referred to as MEDA) sharing their international development work experiences, will undoubtedly give me that added push to share my own experiences :) I guess I should also add that having completed a Masters in International Development, I have some "street cred" and feel that my insights from this experience may have some use for others in the industry.

Ok, now that I have got the design and formatting of this blog all set, I will probably not be writing much more until my departure date - September 20th. So much to do, so little time. First part of visa application has been submitted, ticket has been purchased, packing list (not actual packing, of course) has been started, medical immunizations are almost complete, and background research has been read. This of course leaves about a million other things to do. Oh, and wait did I mention I was moving apartments in NYC at the same time (this really should state "moving my boyfriend and my stuff into a new place")?!?!? Capped off by the fact that I also have to drive my car down to Florida to store it while I am gone (for you non-New Yorkers, the pastime of parking in Brooklyn requires you to move or sit in your car for an hour and half every week while the street sweeper goes by, which makes leaving it in NYC for 6 months not even a remote possibility).

Now that my re-introductory blog is complete and I am again starting to get anxious about all of the things I have left to do, I will bid the blog adieu. Stay tuned for more ramblings from Zambia! I welcome all of your travel packing tips and or essentials.  Ciao for now!