I've arrived!
Well I have been in Addis Ababa for a couple of hours now, I received a wonderful welcome at the airport, I've breakfasted on pancakes and syrup and now it is time for an hours snooze because sadly I did not get any sleep at all on the plane but it was an enjoyable journey as I spent it reading up on Ethiopia and the exciting things I will see here and in the dead of the night I just sent some downtime with God. Perfect!
When I got on the plane 11 hours ago the first thing I wanted to do was join in with Clare's #ONEMums lend us your voice meme. Here's what I typed then - I am at this very moment typing this sat on my plane ready to depart for Addis Ababa and I am not quite sure how I feel about this incredible journey I am about to embark on. I know I am grateful that the seatbelt fits round me and that I have plenty of leg room on a very surface level and perhaps in denial that I really am heading for Ethiopia on a much deeper one.
I have seen Jen briefly and we have said hello but unfortunately we are not sat together so we will have to start getting to know each other properly tomorrow when we meet the rest of the Ethiopia #ONEMums #ONEMoms team. I have no concept of what to expect on this trip, I am learning that it is to be different to many other blogger trips as I will mostly be visiting successful projects and seeing the living proof that international aid is making a difference and that ONE's campaigning is helping. I was also a little shocked to find that I am anything but slumming it when it comes to my accommodation, another difference to other trips I have followed in the past, but I'll come back to this another time.
#OneMums lend us your voice meme
Now onto the meme - it is nice and simple so hopefully lots of people can join in. Clare has set the challenge for us to use the letters in OneMum as a starter to 6 words or sentences about how we feel about being a mum. Or if you are a dad and would like to join in then please use OneDad as you dads do just as much as us mums. Here we go –
O verflowing - with love, never did I think I wanted kids and then I found a man I wanted to marry and things changed.
N atural – until I had JJ I had hardly held a baby and had an irrational fear of babes but then in the dead of that first night as I fed my babe I fell in love and it has all been natural ever since.
E hilarated – They take me on an emotional journey like I have never known before and boy the highs are good!
M aking it up as I go along – these babes do not come with a handbook! Oh learn, you learn on the job with this parenting lark, thankfully I am tuned into my mother’s intuition and I know that what I feel is best for my babes, really is best.
U nder the thumb – ohh yes they have me where they want me! I am no easy target but my heart just melts when their little lips quiver and the tears flow.
M agnificient – There is nothing else quite like it!
That's it, easy peasy! You can make it one word or long sentences, serious or jokey, Clare does not mind what you do, just please take time to think about what it means to be a Mum and join in!
You can join in too....
Do you fancy joining in with this meme and passing it on? Please do, it would mean the world to me and more importantly it will be spreading awareness about the wonderful campaigning and advocacy organisation that I have travelled to Ethiopia with, ONE.org.
I’m going to tag a few people and I hope you will do the same, here are mine –
Dara at Mum of all Trades
Kate takes 5
Hello Its Gemma
Quick reminder - What do you have to do?
- Complete the ONEMums acronym style meme and link your post up at Clare's
- link to ONE so people can join up if they wish to read more about ONE
- Sign up to ONE to give your voice if you so wish
- Tag some other bloggy friends to join in with the meme, so it spreads like wildfire!
- Then if you can share this on any of your social media platforms too that will be perfect.
Thanks so much, 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 #ONEMums on Twitter.
I am currently in Ethiopia travelling with a group of 11 other inspirational Mums and Moms 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.