Ben Tshin

It’s now the countdown: D-day minus 14. Two weeks.

My preparations to leave have been harried. I returned from Medair’s ROC in November and two weeks later I accepted a Water & Sanitation (WatSan) position in South Sudan. Total days from acceptance to departure was less than 60 days. But there is much to do.

Being voluntarily unemployed since May has settled me into a slower pace of life. My decision to take a break from work was to give time to go on vacation in Italy, visit my sister in Florida and apply to the CIDA internships. But then I didn’t land any internships or Humber.

My to-do list seemed unending to begin. My briefing pack contained 16 different documents that needed reading, filling, or signing. And then the drugs and vaccinations. In total I’ve received 6 shots for infectious bugs ranging from Hepatitis A and typhus to rabies. Beware: the rabies inoculation cost a ridiculous $510 (3 x $170). There’s also a packing list the length of my arm. And all the things I need to organize before I leave.

It was overwhelming and some days paralyzing to think about the long to-do list. I didn’t know where to start and what to do next. But the list is slowly dwindling. Tick off one task at a time. And now the list is down to less than 10.

With all the preparations, I haven’t had the chance to get excited about going to Africa. But I’m really glad that everyone I’ve talked to is really encouraging and excited for me. And then it rubs off onto me. So now I’m excited and also slowly getting things done. *whew* The right balance.