Saturday January 12, 2013. Noon.

Well I am on my way … Again. This is my tenth trip with The McGill Canadian Field Studies in Africa Programme (CFSIA) and an even dozen to East Africa in total. It is hard to believe. Firstly that so much time has passed and secondly that Africa has become such a big part of my life. For the ten years prior it was Bosnia. Things change and I imagine that ten years from now…I will be a lot older…things will be different again. However, carpe diem will be my mantra for now.

I am on the train on the way to the airport at Dorval. Via rail has change it’s luggage policies so I have to take a long route via Ottawa to get to the airport so I could take my bags with me. I have one large bag of “stuff” that will be left in Kenya. I have been good about my personal luggage this time, with about 15 pounds less than what I took last year. And even that may be too much. This Via-rail trip may sound like a lousy diversion but, in fact, I have a business class ticket, will still arrive in lots of time for my flight tonight and am being feted with wine and beer and food and free wifi as I travel. So the bottom line is that this is a more reasonable way to spend the day, getting ready for the long two flights to Nairobi than sitting on a bench in the airport in Dorval, guarding my luggage and waiting for the ticket counter to open. I am always glad to get the trip started – no more wondering what I have forgotten or might forget. Too late for that and nothing I can do about it now.

It is barely past noon and I have already had a beer and a glass of wine and lasagna. The steward has told me that there will be a second meal service between Ottawa and Montreal. I will gain weight before I even get off the ground.

I will keep a journal as I travel and probably post in my blog this year as well – something new. I am all set. Twende! (Swahili for Let’s go.)