The journey begins!

Well, here I am at the airport waiting for my plane to staging in DC.  I'm excited, ecstatic even, about the adventure ahead of me. Tonight I will be meeting the other 56 volunteers for Stage 28 in Benin.  We will be spending the weekend in training for the Let Girls Learn program.  We may even meet Michelle Obama!

The last couple weeks have been full of family time, relaxation and packing.  As some of you know, I was having a hard time deciding what to pack- I mean, how do I know what will actually come in handy in Benin?!? That being said, here are a couple of the random items I deemed necessary for this journey.  I'll post a full packing list later.

- My Boggle Set: hopefully someone will play with me!

- 3 pounds of Swedish Fish and even more fruit snacks. You never know when you'll need a fruity pick me up.

- Lightweight camping hammock

- 2 pillows: I've been warned about pillow quality in Benin

- Lots of matzo ball soup mix.  No explanation necessary. 

Thanks to friends and family who have sent words of encouragement and love over the past couple days.  It means the world to me that I have your support. 

Stay tuned for training updates!