First 2 days

Chapter One.
It is almost 4 am! The sunrays have yet to penetrate the dark sky and it is time to make those two final calls across to the other side of the planet, before loading the packed bags in the trunk of the station wagon. Every journey is anchored by conversations with loved ones before actually setting forth. I have spoken with everyone except my sister in Australia and our daughter in China. A final goodbye, even though I know the world is totally connected via internet, ichat, gchat, sms, etc., I find solace in those conversations wishing me a bon voyage. These conversations are followed by our family tradition of meditative minutes with our spiritual self in front of the altar. I am ready to leave Lake Forest. From now on the journey will take on a life of it’s own, with just one preplanned stop in D.C.

The bags are loaded and the world still sleeps as the car glides out of the driveway around 5:30 am. A last glance at Otis who has no words, but is standing in the hallway hesitantly wagging his tail, because those suitcases in the car somehow are connected with at least one person not coming back. This is the sixth set of suitcases that have been packed and loaded in the last 4 weeks! 

At Milwaukee airport, the baggage charge is reduced and upon boarding the Midwest Airlines flight, when I see someone else in my assigned seat 17C, I find I have been bumped up to first class! After a complimentary sightseeing tour by the Blue Shuttle bus, I arrive in time for lunch at the staging site in Georgetown.
 
Chapter Two.
There is one personal stop to make before assembling for the flight to Skopje at 11:30 am. I leave the hotel at 6:50 am and hail a taxi to take me to Arlington National Cemetery. Reaching a good 45 minutes before it opens, I walk to the Iwo Jima and Carillon Bells Memorial Park. After visiting Uday’s resting place in Arlington, I am ready to leave for my new home for the next 27 months in Macedonia. 

Wow! Moving 37 volunteers, each with approx 100 lbs of luggage, from the hotel to the airport is no small task. Once the bus is loaded, we are on our own till we meet the Pre-Service Training Staff at Skopje. We left 40 minutes behind scheduled time of 12 noon for a 5:40 flight and found that a little extra time makes sense for such large groups, especially after unloading we found that our code share flight meant we check in at Austrian Airlines and not at United Airlines, for a UA coded ticket! Dulles terminal is organized alphabetically so we ended up hauling our luggage from one end “U” to the other end “A”!

Was this in mind by the architects when they chose marble floors for airports? I am sure it made hauling the mostly wheeled bags much easier. I am sorry I had one pick-up and go old-fashioned (39 ½ lbs) smaller suitcase. I owe the young man from Kalamazoo many wheels for cheerfully taking over my suitcase and letting me push his 4-wheeler! Then another young trainee offered to keep my toilet bag in his loosely filled duffle bag so that my 52 lbs large suitcase wouldn’t go over the weight limit of 50 lbs! This was a great group and all signs tell me that I am going to enjoy Macedonia with a great group of volunteers!