Back to Africa
I am off to Africa tomorrow for a 3 week visit to Kenya, Uganda and South Africa. The purpose of my trip is both business and pleasure. My visit to Uganda, where I have strong personal connections, will be very special. I can’t believe its been almost 34 years since we left.
The decision to travel came about 2 months ago. My daughters and I have a love-hate relationship with the holiday season. I find it too commercial and the girls find it too busy with all the family visits. So this year we are all doing something different.
The older daughter is going to a sunny island down south with a friend and not too worried about my whereabouts. While the younger one somewhat disappointed will remain in Canada in the cold with the dog and shipped to her aunt. But she is totally cool with me being away (..ok, I admit I bribed her with an ipod for Xmas). Overall they both understand the purpose of my trip to Africa and have been very supportive.
I am travelling with a friend who has common business interests and we have planned to meet with local entrepreneurs in all 3 countries. Our preparations for this trip started a while back when we expressed our interest to friends and family. They all jumped in to connect us with someone in each country. Some connections were made by accident surfing the web! You find an interesting site, exchange a couple of emails and before you know it, meetings are planned and you feel like you have connected with another friend. That’s when you really realize the power of communication over the internet!
The planning has been both tiring and fun at the same time. We have a packed schedule and as much as we like to think we are all prepared I am sure Africa will have a few surprises. I hope to keep up the blogging while I am there. At the very least, I will be keeping a journal and hope to share some highlights on my return in January.
Wishing you a loving and fun filled holiday season and may 2006 be a great year for you!
