The Essentials

Packing 1 suitcase for 4 months is a task that I am unqualified to do. Luckily, I have a little experience in doing things I'm not qualified to do: cooking comes to mind. I continue anyway, blindly, packing what I think is essential to keep me going for 4 months.

6 t-shirts, 1 long-sleeve shirt, 1 sweater, 6 work shirts, 4 pairs of pants, 4 pairs of shorts, 1 or 2 belts (haven't decided yet), 6 pairs of underwear, 4 work socks, 5 regular socks - too much clothing or not enough? 1 camera, 1 iPod, some headphones, 1 journal, 1 flashlight + 1 reading light, 1 microphone with stand, 1 pair of sunglasses, 3 pens, 3 pencils, 1 textbook (I will be taking an online course while abroad), my laptop, the normal toiletries and enough drugs to keep me medicated for a lifetime - malaria pills, diarrhea pills and electrolyte tablets (for when I get the inevitable runny stool), Gravol, Imodium, daily vitamins plus SPF 50 sunscreen and bug spray. I am currently in the market for a mosquito net - turns out they are not a hot commodity at this time of year in Canada.

One thing I also found while packing up my closet was a box of keepsakes I had from high school. Until very late last night, I was going through old letters and pictures, reminiscing about old friends, reading cards from past birthdays and my graduation, and remembering the person I was only 3 years ago. It felt strange. Happiness overwhelmed me as I went through these nostalgic items, but sadness also chimed in to remind me that these are moments that I can't relive. That's life though, gotta live up the moments we have today because eventually they may be sitting in a lonely box in the back of your closet. Life moves in but one direction.

The current temperature in Strathroy, Ontario, Canada: 0°C
The current temperature in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: 23°C

I can't wait.

864,000 seconds

10 days. 9 sleeps. 864,000 seconds...863,999...863,998...

In ten days a story will begin. I will be dropped into the middle of a new culture, a new climate, and a completely new way of life. The distance between me and my new life: 8,177 kilometers - 5,081 miles - 8,177,992 meters - 26,830,682 feet - or, two flights with a transfer in Belgium.

I will be living and working in northern Burkina Faso, a small landlocked country in West Africa, in a place called Yako. This will be my first international experience. All my life thus far was spent in Southwestern Ontario, Canada (with the exception of some vacations in the Caribbean and my childhood trips to Florida).

So the question arises: why do this blog? Simply put: to tell a story. It is your choice to turn the page and continue reading. I am the author of a story with no clear direction. It has no known subject, nor characters, nor outcomes. This is a story about life and what happens when a life changes. It begins in 863,888 seconds...863,887...863,886...