Journey to Ethiopia - Part 5 - The final countdown

I can hardly believe there is just 5 more sleeps before I board the plane for Ethiopia, I really am on the final countdown and I must stop saying that as now I have that awfully catchy 1980’s Europe tune going round in my head.  Except in my head the words have changed to –

We’re heading for Africa,

but still we stand tall,

cause maybe they’ve seen us

and will welcome us all, yeah.

With so many miles to go

and things to be seen (to be seen),

I’m sure that we’ll all miss the kids,

(cue drums) boom boom, boom boom, boom!

It’s the final countdown!

And now I have confirmed to you all, that yes I really am quite bonkers!  I can’t even blame it on the stress of the trip as I do not feel stressed, just excited. No nerves have kicked in at the moment, I think I must be in denial, or maybe it is just that I have so much to get through in the next week that I have not got too much time to project my emotions just yet!

Here is the low down on what I still need to do this week –

• Work 22.5 hours in my paid job.
• Go into town and get my mobile phone unlocked so I can use a different sim in Ethiopia.
• Have a friend round for dinner Tuesday night and then take her to my women’s bible study group.
• Buy a cake for JJ’s birthday, sorry son no chance I’ll have time to bake one before Thursday evening!
• Shop for the party food for 40 kids and then prepare it all and transport it to JJ’s party on Thursday, oh and I better oversee the party too!
• Get my passport/ insurance etc copied so dh has copies at home in case he needs them.
• Write 3 or 4 blog posts before I go so I am fulfilling obligations I have already committed to.
• Buy and wrap 3 birthday presents, 1 for my God daughter and 2 for parties the girls are going to while I am away.
• Buy and wrap a present for JJ and then take him out to spend his birthday money - I think dh might get that job!
• Get all the beds changed and linen washed so everyone is sleeping happy while I am not here.
• Do the ironing so there is clean school uniform for the week I am away.
• Myself and the girls are having a haircut on Wednesday afternoon as they have school photos while I am away and half grown out fringes look anything but smart!
• Do my nails, so they look vaguely passable instead of a complete mess!
• Remember to start taking my malaria tablets and pray for no side effects.
• Pack my case/ bag and double check I have everything I need.
• Take JJ to football practice Monday night and cheer him on at his football match Saturday morning before we got to Heathrow.
• Make a shoe box gift up ready for my school assembly on Friday for Operation Christmas Child that I am co-ordinating at the school and then of course travelling to Belarus in December with too!
• Take the assembly without passing out through fear of having 450 kids in the same room as me!
• Organise posters, parentmail and leaflets to go out at school for Operation Christmas Child.
• GET SOME SLEEP!  Yes I am shouting that one to myself.  I must go to bed early all this week.  My flight on Saturday leaves at 9pm and arrives into Addis Ababa at about 7am and I am not sure how well I’ll sleep in an economy class plane seat, so I need to stock up on sleep before I go as I cannot imagine there will be much time for extra sleep once we arrive in Ethiopia.

Of course this does not take into account the fact that I'm a mum of three small kids and they all need the usual feeding, bathing and loving and I better make sure I spend some quality time with them this week before I disappear off too.

Busy, busy!

Next post in this series will be when I reach Ethiopia, ekk - that really is close! Thanks all for your wonderful support, I look forward to travelling this journey with you.  Mich x

-------------------------------------------------------------

If you think others will enjoy taking this journey with me, then please share this and my other ONE Ethiopia posts and don't forget to sign up to ONE and offer your voice. I am taking this journey with Jennifer Howze of BritMums, so do follow her journey too and follow #ONEMoms on Twitter.

From 6th October I'll be travelling with a group of 11 other inspirational Mums and Moms to Ethiopia as part of an expense paid trip courtesy of the ONE Campaign. Our trip is about success – Living Proof -- of what is working and why it is important that we continue to support projects that are making a huge, measurable difference for less than one percent of the entire US budget. It is about letting more people know what a tremendous difference the US and UK are making in the lives of millions around the world.  And it is about adding thousands more voices to those already letting their elected officials know they support these life-saving programs.