Life Lists

I had breakfast this morning with a group of friends where we were discussing "bucket lists." You know, that list of things you want to do before you die. The conversation turned to the name; one person thought it was depressing to call it a bucket list, as if you were preparing to die.  I got to thinking about that statement on the way home, and while I don't necessarily agree, I thought about a better name for it. How about a "life list?"  I think that's what I'm going to call my list.

Last year was the first year I concentrated on things like this, and I managed to cross of three things on my list: the trip to Alaska (which was at the very top), climbing the cliff behind my sister's Colorado mountain property, and eating sushi. 

Climbing the cliff in Colorado

Made it to Alaska

Sushi!!

In about a week, I'm going to start crossing several more things off this life list.  I'm going to Africa for three weeks. The main focus of the trip is to visit my son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, but there are things there that I really want to do and see, and I'll get to do that. Drew, Sara, and Lila live in Gabarone, Botswana. They work through USAID doing economic development projects in emerging countries. Drew spent 6 years in Bosnia in the late '90's and early 2000's. Then after a couple of years back in the US, he spent 3 years in Pakistan (where he met Sara!). Another year or so at home, and now they are in Africa. I never got to visit in the first two places, but I was determined to see them in Botswana. 

So those life list things?  Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe has always been high, and a photo safari to see the big animals right below that. While researching some of the things that I might see, I discovered that there is a beach in Capetown, South Africa that is populated by penguins. I've seen lots of them in the zoo, but never in the wild, so that got added to the list.  Those three things will take up the three weekends I'm there, and the mid-week times will be filled with playing with my granddaughter, and seeing local sights.

Preparing for a trip like this is a huge undertaking, and international travel is always an adventure. What is especially challenging as I decide what to take is that I'm flying three different airlines, with three different baggage rules. The first one allows one 50 pound bag, and the normal carry-on limits. The second airline lets me take two 50 pound bags, but my carry-on can only weigh 8 kilos (18 pounds). My suitcase weighs 8, so that's not going to work!!  The third airline website says that total luggage is limited to 20 kilos (about 44 pounds) and carry-on limited to 7 kilos (about 16 pounds). I still haven't decided what to do about the carry-on, but I'll just take my two bags and pay whatever I have to pay extra.

Since shopping, especially for a two-year old, is limited in Botswana, Sara ordered a bunch of stuff for me to bring for Lila. I also have two quilts (one a wedding quilt, and the other Lila's two-year-old quilt) that have to be included. Plus there is a little girl there (daughter of Drew and Sara's friends) who wants to learn to quilt, and I'm taking some equipment for her. This is what my spare bedroom looks like right now while I decide what to take and how to pack it! I'm sure I'll repack the bags several more times before I finally leave.

So what do you do when you have a 28 hour plane trip coming up?  I've got lots of books on my Kindle, and some hand sewing. I even made a new sewing kit to take with me on the plane. This will also be packed and repacked several times, I'm sure! Right now I've got a cross-stitch project, and will work on getting some hand applique ready to do. After all, I still have a week!!

I'll be blogging from Africa as wireless connections allow, so check back to see how I manage to cross some of these things off my life list. Hmm, with all the crossing off I'm doing, perhaps it's time to do some adding?!!