Prologue

Well, this is it. I'm going to Zanzibar. After a week of listing, shopping, checkups, organizing, and lounging (I'm still a creature of habit under stress), the trip is finally coming together. It's surreal to think that within 48 hours I'll be in Amsterdam waiting for my connecting flight to Nairobi. I'm actually quite pleased with the comfortable series of flights and layovers which await me both on the way out and when I fly back. Minneapolis-Amsterdam-Nairobi-Zanzibar on the way and basically the same thing returning in December (sub Dar Es Salaam for Nairobi). I picked the seats today and even managed to get my favorite economy class setup. The aisle seat. Let the travel games begin tomorrow night! In the meantime, it all comes down to final prep. The inescapable feeling that I'm forgetting something has already set in and I haven't even started packing it all up.

• 100+ Non-psychosis-inducing antimalarials: Check. 
• Steri-pen with replacement batteries: Check.
• Camera w/ all necessary equipment: Check.
• Zanzibar-appropriate attire: Check.
• A sense of the full gravity of my upcoming experience: ............

Don't worry, it'll happen.

As a first time blogger, I can't promise that the following posts will be deeply philosophical, captivating, or regular (this the latter's a toss-up until I've settled in). But yes, you'll get pictures, quotes/phrases I pick up along the way, and characteristically verbose descriptions of local scenery & fauna (There Will Be Insects). It's impossible to depart on such a grand adventure without telling little stories along the way. Enjoy the snapshots and anecdotes from Zanzibar and don't hesitate to tell me what you think along the way!