From London

not sure if this will work--i've never actually posted a blog update via e-mail. however, the small internet kiosk at heathrow won't let me access blogger, so i'm relying on the e-mail update system i had set up a year or so ago and never used. if you can read this, the address was obviously correct. (it wasn't--I'm posting this from Kenya)

it's been a long and interesting journey so far. highlights:

• sitting next to a college girl on the flight to chicago who'd never flown alone, so i ran through o'hare with her to try and get her on her connecting flight, resulting in being more aware than usual of muscles that are rarely used (i no longer run too much...)
• sitting between two delightful people on the flight to LA. i actually rarely talk to people on flights, so visiting much of the way to LA was unusual for me. 'twas a good thing, though.
• i don't like LAX. it's probably my least favorite international terminal! there's nothing to do and very few outlets to plug in your computer to recharge! i spent 4 hours working on a project and met a couple from taiwan. they were sitting by an outlet, so i had to ask them if i could plug in my computer by their feet...
• long flight to london! i got an isle seat so i could get up whenever i needed, but the two girls to my left got up far more than i did! felt like everytime i managed to doze off, one of them would want to switch seats with another of the 10 or so people in their extended family so they could visit. needless to say, i was happy to get to london!
• hung out with melissa, a colleague from taiwan who's from here. she's since left to go to a small group event, so i'm heading to my gate to see if i can find an outlet yet again and get my computer and ipod recharged.

just one more flight of about 8 hours, then one 6-hour drive, then i'm home! yeah! can't wait to see the kids. i packed enough peeps for all 200 kids. when i checked in my luggage in cedar rapids, they asked if it's full of easter eggs, not realizing that i really did have enough easter candy for 200 kids... :) since my layovers have all been long (4 hours in chicago, 5 hours in LA, 6 hours in london) i'm trusting my luggage will be arriving in nairobi with me.

will post an update when i can once i'm safely in ilula and have said all my hellos.