TIME TO START PACKING

It seems like I just said that back in April but this time my chances of success are higher in returning to Tanzania as planned. It should be a very interesting year since I’ll finally be visiting India, a long term goal that seems hard to believe may actually come to pass. It will be especially meaningful since I will not be visiting the typical tourist spots. I’ll be seeing two FCN mission sites, then the mother house of the Indian sisters that work in Tanzania, the Shantivanam catholic ashram established by Fr Bede Griffith and traveling the last 10 days with my friend Christel from Switzerland who has done mission work there before. Some of you may recall Christel was the engineer I first worked for in Tanzania. Like me she’s retired and works about 6 months each year in Tanzania. The two day trip by train from the East to West coast by myself should be especially interesting.

My biggest problem at this point is trying to decide what to pack. When I was initially heading straight back to Africa two bags was not a problem, but now the thought of toting two bags all around India, north and south, by train and plane does not sound so appealing. If I only had my clothes that would be one thing, but as usual I have things for friends that they would really enjoy and have been purchased for them long ago, like a camera, external hard-drives, books, clothes, gifts and 2 used laptops. I think I’ll have to cut back on my clothes. At first I thought about just shipping it but for $700 some things will just have to wait.

I was hoping to complete my income taxe calcs before I left but it does not look like that will happen due to a lack of 1099 and 1098 forms, so I just did a rough estimate. It will be my first year to pay state income tax except for a little last year since it was my first time in 5 years that I’ve lived in the country the entire year. It makes me appreciate those 38 yrs in Texas a little more; no state tax.

I got good news from my doctor and my niece this month so the year is starting out good. My heart surgeon said the recent echo shows no growth of the enlarged aorta, so I should be good for another 6 months before I have it checked again. It is staying at about 4.7 cm diameter and 5.1 is the point when they get concerned. My twin brother shocked me a few days ago when he reminded me that his first aneurysm grew from 3.0 to 5.0 cm in 6 months. The other good news from my niece Marisa was that she wants to live in my house while I’m gone and help pay the utilities. Wow. How nice is that. She’s lived here before and really likes the house and she won’t have to share it with anyone this time. She’s even agreed to continue feeding the fish so I won’t have to give them all away. I think her cat will like the company.

I had two wonderful driving trips last Fall to Houston and to Miami. I got to see Pam and Kyle and Charlene and a few friends in Texas at Thanksgiving. Then I drove to Miami (1600mi) to visit my three Maryknoll friends in early December. I stopped along the way to see old friends in Louisville KY, Asheville NC, Columbia SC, and Jacksonville FL. It was great fun and really broke up the travel time. Rose and Tara worked with me in Africa and are now living together in Miami and our friend Steve Pohl was returning home from Bolivia for his parent’s anniversary, so we gave his a nice surprise welcome. Tara just flew back from her first business trip to Africa and had lots of good stories. I got great tours and great food in all locations but it was best to just see everyone again and meet some of their friends.

If everything stays on schedule I depart Jan 24th and return to Baltimore Aug 2nd. I hope to see Claudia in Annapolis, Mary Orfao in Philly and Liz Mach in New York while I'm in that area, along with the grand-kids of course. I’ll be in touch by email, blogs and picasa web albums, so keep in touch please. I might even try Skype and Facebook once in a while, internet willing.

thomascott@gmail.com, scottintanzania.blogspot.com picasaweb.google.com\thomascott