Celebrate Your Little Ones

I've had quite a few people tell me that going to Africa is an achievement and they are proud of me and wished they could do something as important. Thank you all for these kind thoughts, and I before I go, I want to let you all know I am thinking of you and that not every victory needs to be a trip halfway around the world. You are all completing inspirational acts everyday, so keep it up and pat yourself on the back! This reminded me of an email I wrote a while back, and I hope you look for your own victories while I am gone trying to achieve a victory of my own.

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Victory is a word that often carries a heavy meaning as we older. You need to be the Valedictorian to be victorious in high school. Your college football team has to win the Rose Bowl to victorious in college football. Many even feel that to be victorious in life, you must make extensive amounts of money and be the best in your field.

Well, as I waded through the baby pool the other day with the little girl I babysit, the sun warming my back, the pee in the pool warming my feet (and killing any athlete’s foot), I looked around and got a true peek into a part of our lives that, as we get older, I feel we often forget or at least overlook- our victories.

My eyes noticed a little girl who scanned the pool with her eyes opened so widely, I swear, the whites were larger than a full moon in summer. She proceeded to inhale a large breath of air that could have easily allowed her to stay under water for twelve minutes. Her arms shot up in the air at 90 miles per hour, and suddenly she went under. I can only imagine the scene under the water, but above the water, two skinny legs flailed wildly, and a hazardous foot almost took out a child's newly earned front tooth. Approximately four seconds later, the half of her body that was underwater came up for air. With dark hair matted to her face, outlining her eyes and tickling the corners of her mouth, her lower jaw dropped and she caught her mother’s eyes from across the pool.

“Did you see that?! I just did a HANDSTAND in the pool!” she shouted excitedly to her mom across the pool, her voice full of pride. I don’t believe the smile ever left her face that day.

Victory.

I also noticed a little boy near the diving boards. I noticed him because he was both in line and out of line- just kind of hanging out and confusing those who actually wanted to get in line to take the plunge. He was there for a while, eyeing the diving boards with fear, confusion, and defiance in those small eyes, whose lashes were so saturated with water, that he looked as if he were wearing mascara. He finally stepped in line for the high dive, and his steps were a little smaller and a bit slower than the other diving dare devils waiting for the chance to be falling airborne for a brief moment. His chest was moving up and down at a pace that reminded me of the speed of a strobe light. Finally, his number was called, and he climbed up that high dive ladder with white hands and toes that appeared to curl completely around each rung. By the time he got to the top, his belly was scratched and bleeding because he practically shimmed his way up the ladder. Having reached the top of his own Mount Everest, he ran the marathon (I am positive it felt like a marathon to him) down the length of the diving board (I am also positive his sweaty feet made that experience even more delightful), and jumped- well, ran- off the board. The entire way down to the pool, his feet kept running, only to have his arms flap widely as if he were trying to fly back to the edge of that high dive. All of these efforts on the way down only led to the inevitable- a belly flop. I worried that his high dive experience might scar him for life (figuratively and literally, based on his scratched up belly). A head bobbed up to the top of the water and moved via doggie-paddle to the ladder. The boy got out of the pool with nothing but a smile on his face. He turned and looked at that high dive again with his mascara eyelashes and the look of “Hello, old friend” blanketed his face. He ran (and got yelled at by the lifeguard on duty) and this time clearly took his place in line for the high dive.

Victory.

I saw others as well. To the kid who talked his mom into a quarter for the snack shack; to the girl who stared at the boy from across the pool and finally said hi; to the little kid who stuck his/her head under the water for the first time and discovered they wouldn’t die- victory.

As we get older, the victories may not become easier and they may seem to come far and few between, but that doesn’t make them any less important or meaningful in our lives and who we are as people. Take a moment to think of any victories you have accomplished recently- big or small- and pat yourself on the back. You were once that kid at the pool whose chest puffed up because you actually jumped off the high dive, swam underwater, or did an awesome handstand, and you took pride in that accomplishment, so take pride in the ones you achieve now- no matter how big or small.

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See you soon, America! Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers! I look forward to returning with stories to share!

Being Prepared Means Being Unprepared

Preparing my toilet paper for my suitcase. Gaye taught me how to take out the center roll to make it more pliable for packing. If you look closely, you can see the toilet paper is smiling...ha ha ha! I am (physically) prepared for the Kenyan bathrooms (not sure about mentally)!

If I count today and Monday, there are exactly six days left until I go to Africa. Six days until the journey of a lifetime. Six days until a life changing journey. Six days.

I am not sure what to expect, so I am not sure how to feel. It's funny how you can prepare for all these other aspects- if you get sick, cold weather, warm weather, staying in touch, eating- but it's impossible to prepare your emotions. Even when you do prepare your emotions, it doesn't work. You never know what your heart is going to do, so maybe trying to prepare my emotions is a waste of time. (And trust me, I am a melting pot of emotions! I've been unable to sleep because I am too excited or worried. I've been scared too the point that I can't think about Kenya. I've been upset to the point where I've cried. I've been hopeful, overwhelmed, disappointed, angry (yes, angry), shocked, elated, confused... ALL OF 'EM!) I think I am just going to go with an open heart and let it do as it may. So, that's my preparation for my heart while I am there- to have no preparation.

Another aspect I can prepare for- packing my suitcase! This was the beginning of that "journey."

Another moment I wasn't prepared for- my students teaching me a lesson before I left! As we were rounding out the end of the school year (believe it or not, one of the most difficult times for teachers) and stress levels were running high, I had a moment that immediately put me in my place and reminded me that we are all innately good people. As we were cleaning out lockers, one student turned and said, "Ms. Bachler, do they need paper in Kenya?" I said, "Well, if you were just going to throw it out, then you can donate it. As long as it was going to be trash." There was a flock of paper emptied from lockers and stacked on desks...yes DESKS! Then, the students, being the thinkers that they are, starting looking at all of their supplies in their lockers- scissors, markers, pencils, colored pencils, etc. and were asking, "Do kids in Kenya need ______?" And again, desks were filled with supplies. One of my favorite times in life is when people teach you a lesson when you least expect it but most need it. Believe me, children do that a lot. I am thankful for the gentle nudges and reminders that children provide adults with or else many of us would be so aloof in our "adult world" where we often overlook the simplest, yet most worthy, moments.

Below are pictures of me packing my bags (I LOVE my space saver bags!), the Chicago gear I intend on giving my host family (notice how the Sox shirt almost dominates), and what 'Africa for Month' looks like when it is all packed up and ready to go!

The Journey Begins Before I Expected

Okay, so now that you all know where I am going, let's talk about how I got there!

I have been VERY blessed to be surrounded by the people I am surrounded by. My family and friends are very generous and donated enough money to pay for my room and board while in Kenya. I have been very blessed as well to have a number of personal donations to pay for vaccines, mosquito netting, clothing, prescriptions, even a hotel stay in London! I thought I would have to go to Africa to feel humbled and to be aware of how lucky I am here in the States, and I didn't. I can't tell you how touched I was by the support I have received (and still am receiving) and I am not just talking money, here. The positive words, the encouragement, the supportive thoughts are beyond invaluable. For those of you at Crone, you saw me break down (I couldn't even get the first sentence out before I broke into tears! By the way, VERY out of character for the stoic Melissa Bachler). I just feel so lucky, and I think the fact that I can't put that emotion into words says it all.

So, now that my massive

amount of vaccines have been administered (R.I.P. Yellow Fever, Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid, Polio, Influenza 09-10, H1N1, Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (Tdap), and Meningitis), I feel invincible- at least my immune system does. By the way, I was looking at the CDC Map of vaccines required for places you're visiting. Kenya is literally one of the few that requires nearly ALL of the vaccines. Next time, I am going to Australia- they don't need anything! Even their rabies danger is low! Like I said, headfirst without knowing what I was getting into...

As you can see from the pictures, my first round of vaccines went fine (orange shirt, 3 shots). My second round of vaccines left me sick (brown dress, 3 shots), and my third round went well (beige top, 3 shots). There's also a list of everything (except the Yellow Fever) I've been vaccinated for- pretty long!

Thanks again to all who have helped me get this far. You have taught me so much on my journey that I feel like it has already begun.

"Plant your own garden; decorate your own soul." Jen Ginsberg.

My First Blog about Africa!

With exactly two weeks left before I go to Africa, everything is getting settled...but is still so unsettled! I feel like the big details (vaccines, airline tickets, etc.) are out of the way, but there are plenty of little details (do I have everything??) on my list that will either get done or be forgotten. If they are forgotten, I will suffer the consequence when I get to Kenya. I'm not sure how that will work out...

I'd like to give everyone a little background. Last October I started thinking about my summers and how I was almost "wasting" them. I was working, but I felt like I could be doing more. I am in a great district, at a great school with kids who live pretty comfortably. I wanted to help kids who (maybe?) weren't in the greatest schools and weren't living pretty comfortably. I searched around for adventure and found global volunteer opportunities. What a great way to spend my summer- helping out others and learning about myself at the same time. Double whammy. I kept searching until I found an opportunity that felt like the right fit. I found Volunteer Kenya (volunteerkenya.org) and while my search for a place to volunteer had ended, the journey of traveling across the world had just begun. I am still glad to this day that I was just a dumb girl who dove in headfirst to this journey, or else I never would have done it. Funny how stupidity can be your saving grace sometimes.

My month-long stay in Bungoma will include living in a mud hut (a mixture of mud and manure) with 3 other volunteers living in the hut with me. There should be a total of around 20 volunteers. I will be working in the school, Epico Jahns. I am not sure of what exact grade (the school has grades K-8), but I do know I will be helping out in math and reading. I will have no running water, no electricity, and will be going without anyone I know. Literally, this is the extent to what I know I am going to do. (I don't want to give out any false information.) The scariest obstacles in life are the ones that build the strongest character, right?

That is all for today. I promise more Tuesday or Wednesday, but it is late, I have had my last bout of vaccinations today, and I am just a wee bit tired.

"Be the change you want to see in the world." Ghandi