Back from the dead, at least temporarily ...

So, it's been more than four months since I wrote anything on this blog, and forever since I published with any kind of regularity. It's not that I haven't done tons of cool, blog-worthy stuff in that time, but more that I haven't had the creative energy (and interest) to write about any of it.

I still don't, to be completely honest, but I also know that my upcoming trip to Tanzania is one of those "if you don't write about this you'll hate yourself forever" kinds of situations ... so, I'm going to do it anyways.

Here's the scoop:
Ru and I will be traveling together August 1-25, 2008. My friend Lina, who lives in Seattle but is originally from Zanzibar, will join us for many of our adventures, which is great, because a) she's awesome and 2) she speaks Kiswahili and can tell us when we're being dumb Americans. We will stay at Lina's mom's house while we're on Zanzibar. Mariam works with several schools in the area, so hopefully we'll also be able to volunteer while we're there and, you know, make ourselves useful.

In addition to hanging out at Lina's home, volunteering and exploring the island gorgeousness that is Zanzibar, we also plan to hike the Machame route up Mt. Kilimanjaro and watch big animals run around their natural habitats (i.e. not in a zoo). Click here for a map of Tanzania.

Here's our tentative travel plan:
July 30 SKBK SEA-->ORD
July 31 SKBK visit w/fam in ORD and MSN
Aug 1 SKBK & Ru MSN-->ORD-->ATL-->DXB
Aug 2 Arrive in Dubai and, hopefully, get UAE passport stamp!)
Aug 3 DXB-->NBO-->DAR-->ferry to Zanzibar (recover from five flights)
Aug 4 Zanzibar (relax)
Aug 5 Zanzibar-->Dar es Salaam (ferry)-->Arusha/Moshi (bus)
Aug 6 Arusha/Moshi (acclimatize, explore);
Aug 7 Arusha/Moshi-->Kilimanjaro (begin hike)
Aug 8 Kilimanjaro (hike)
Aug 9 Kilimanjaro (hike)
Aug 10 Kilimanjaro (hike)
Aug 11 Kilimanjaro (hike)
Aug 12 (End hike) Kilimanjaro-->Arusha/Moshi
Aug 13 Arusha/Moshi (rest)
Aug 14 Arusha/Moshi (rest & explore?)
Aug 15 Arusha/Moshi-->Ngorongoro Crater/Olduvai Gorge (begin safari)
Aug 16 Ngorongoro-->Lake Manyara-->Tarangire
Aug 17 Tarangire-->Arusha/Moshi (end safari)
Aug 18 Arusha/Moshi-->Bagamoyo (bus)
Aug 19 Bagamoyo-->Dar (bus)-->Zanzibar (ferry)
Aug 20 Zanzibar (relax and/or volunteer)
Aug 21 Zanzibar (relax and/or volunteer)
Aug 22 Zanzibar (relax and/or volunteer)
Aug 23 Zanzibar (relax and/or volunteer)
Aug 24 Zanzibar-->Dar (ferry)-->DAR-->NBO-->DXB-->ATL
Aug 25 ATL-->ORD-->SEA (Sarah)

Check back soon for more updates!