Dessert Potluck Send Off

Nameeta, Sue, and i are headed to Tanzania very soon - Sue in about 10 days, and Nameeta and i in about 2.5 weeks.  But, another doctor we work with is leaving for Uganda for a medical trip in about a week... Peds Heme/Onc goes to Africa!!  So, the division gave us a dessert potluck send off on Tuesday.  It was great...and, delicious!  Unfortunately, Nameeta was unable to make it - mostly this is unfortunate because i think the primary aim of the dessert potluck was to fatten Nameeta up before the trip!!

A few things came out of this little dessert potluck (most of them are worries):
1)  i'm worried about what i'm going to eat in Tanzania- i think it will be fine, but i'm kind of (ok, maybe not kind of) a picky eater...
2)  i really don't want to die in Tanzania... Linda, our esteemed division head, told us about her trip to Liberia when she was in her medical training.  She told us about an encounter with a cobra and her fear of Lassa Fever.  I don't want to encounter either of those things in Tanzania.
3)  apparently, i need to create a will before i leave and put it somewhere safe.  Linda said that before she went to Liberia, she was afraid she would die of Lassa Fever and created a will for her family to find in case she died...
4)  i'm worried about what it's going to be like when we get back - i know, that this is classic kristina - worrying about something that won't even happen until after the real thing that i should be worried about happens... but, it seems better than worrying about cobras.

so, i was thinking i needed to make a will.  and, then i realized that the thing that i have the most of is...debt!  i'm pretty sure that sallie mae forgives your loans if you die before you can repay them all (i hope so, anyway.  if not, and i die in Tanzania, then mom and dad, think of me each month when you write a check to sallie for the rest of your lives...).  i kind of nearly almost own my car...so, mom and dad do with that what you will.  my sisters can have my clothes, especially my sweat pants- i have a really good collection.  and, then my other prized possession is my green couch - and that can go to my friend Sarah so as to complete her square of hand-me-down couches... that's about it.

the other thing that made me a little worried was my research mentor telling me not to go to Africa and end up on the NBC nightly news.  He says that he always tells his friends not to do something that will get you on the NBC nightly news.  And, apparently going to Africa to take care of kids with cancer and then dying while you are there is something he considers worthy of the nightly news.  i don't think he truly appreciates the extent of my anxiety...

i also bought my emergency evacuation insurance today - kind of a morbid day apparently.  it says that it does not cover the transport of mortal material...

and, finally, i took my first of 4 typhoid doses today.  Nameeta started hers, too.  And, i'm pretty sure that Sue started hers.  We're getting closer... and, it's all seeming scarily soon!

but, i'm still really excited and can't believe how lucky i am to get to go to Tanzania.  it's going to be great.  and, don't worry, the blogs will get more exciting once we get there... nameeta and i leave on may 4 and sue leaves april 27... watch out Tanzania, here we come!!