Getting My Ducks in a Row

I think I'm ready to go. I've said my goodbyes, gotten my expensive immunizations, and have started packing. Here is a quick rundown of what I'm taking:

-4 t-shirts
-2 pairs of pants
-6 pairs of boxers and socks
-2 long-sleeve shirts
-One "nice" outfit for formal events, such as church. I'm atheist, but I've heard that Kenyan church services are unlike anything else in the world, so I'm not going to miss out on that.
-iPod (thanks for letting me borrow it Nasir!)
-Pocket knife
-Flashlight
-Toiletries
-Sunscreen. Yes, brown people can sunburn too!
-Mosquito repellent
-Medications, both OTC stuff and prescription malaria meds
-Stethoscope. This is a nice spendy one and I really hope I don't lose it
-Medical pocket field guide
-Pens and a journal
-Laptop. I might regret taking this later on. We'll see.
-Power adapter
-Some candy and small gifts for my host family
-Passport
-A few books:
*Crime and Punishment
*A Handmaiden's Tale
*US Army Special Forces Medical Handbook. This book is perfect for what I'll be doing. In addition to what you'd expect to be in there (e.g. trauma, how to suture wounds, etc.), it also covers dental care, laboratory techniques, veterinary medicine, epidemiology, sanitation...there are few topics this field manual doesn't touch on. It covers how to treat patients presenting with exotic diseases in settings where little or no additional medical support is available. Did you know you can cure a parasitic worm infection by ingesting a cigarette? Neither did I, but I do now. Good stuff.
*Illustrated Lecture Notes on Tropical Medicine. This book is 457 pages of raw horror, but I'm sure it will come in handy. I just pray that I don't get the whateverthehellthatisOMGisthehumanbodyreallycapableofproducingthatmuchpus infection thats on page 243...

And thats about it. Its all I really need. Actually, its probably more than I need, but if I'm there for a month, I feel like I can splurge a little. It should all fit snuggly into one bag. Traveling light is the only way to travel. I'm leaving on Tuesday afternoon and should be arriving in Nairobi at 7 PM local time the next day. I'll be going from RDU to Washington-Dulles, from Dulles to Zurich, and then finally from Zurich to Nairobi. If things go as planned, my next post will be from Kenya. Wish me luck!