The goodbyes weren’t as bad as I expected – ever since
Anthony Bourdain survived a trip to Ghana, Mom’s been much more relaxed about
the next two weeks, and I don’t even have plans to eat street food in the form
of tubular meats.
When I finally plunked down my
internal frame backpack and looked at the long line ahead, I felt like I had
severely under packed. People were
dragging luggage the size of queen-size mattresses. One woman was walking up and down the line trying to find
someone who would check her third bag, which could have easily fit three dead
bodies. When she got to me I had a
flash of Claire Danes in “Brokedown Palace,” where she helps a charming new
friend and unwittingly smuggles drugs, landing in a dismal jail cell in
Thailand. Or China. I can’t remember. Either way, I just didn’t feel
comfortable checking that bag, even when she offered to show me all the diapers
she was taking to her grandson.
It was pretty good for a 10-hour flight. They played the final Pirates of the
Caribbean and I made this Top 5 list of fun things I want to do to make the
most impact possible while I’m there:
- Share my knowledge about nonprofit management and fundraising with the home’s administrators so they can run it more effectively.
- Tutor and read to the kids, get them jazzed about learning.
- Expose the kids to U.S. culture through exchanging artwork with children from back home.
- Teach the kids my favorite games when I was their age.
- Really just, you know, make an impact.
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