Preparing to Pack

OK...so I am trying to figure out what to pack. The action that is going on inside my head feels very similar to the way a steel ball bounces around inside a pinball machine! Shorts? Long pants? Tee shirts? Long sleeves? What’s the weather going to be like? Where are we actually going to go? Jacket? Rain jacket? Big suitcase? Small backpack? Did I get more SD cards? Do I have a small can of shaving cream? Will I need antacids? What if the food is terrible? Should I take some granola bars? How much weight is this electricity convertor going to add to my luggage? Will I have room to bring back souvenirs? What if I find a drum? Can I ship things home? WAIT! Do I have enough socks? Will this bottle freeze in the cargo bay? Is this bag small enough to be a carry-on? (and then that little steel ball gets hit by the flippers and it starts bouncing around again, even crazier than before!) Finally, I realize that I haven’t really done anything productive, and I give up once again. This is about the fourth time I’ve been through this routine over the past week.

In about ten days, I leave for Ethiopia with a group of 11 or so others from Shenandoah University. We are one of five teams the university is sending out this year as part of the Global Citizenship Project.  (See the entry explaining the GCP) There are two faculty members, three staff members, one board member, and seven students who make up the Ethiopia team. The GCP program incorporates quite a few pre-travel meetings and gatherings to help prepare each team for the kinds of experiences they may expect, as well as helping each individual understand how the cultures with whom they may interact may perceive them with regard to behaviors, dress, etc. We have also had a chance to get to know each other just a little better, and will hopefully find traveling together just a bit easier as a result. In my experience, traveling with a group can be a lesson in tolerance, even among the best of friends!

So.....back to the whole packing thing. Maybe I should start a list! That’s it....I’ll make a list! Let’s see.....I’ll take those two pairs of convertible pants with the legs that zip off to make shorts. Oh, and that lightweight waterproof red jacket. Wait, is that going to warm enough? What if it’s colder in the higher elevations? Is this bag with the wheels going to hold everything? How will I know until I figure out what I’m taking? Will they have toilet paper over there? Do I have a first aid kit? Will I be able to..........??????????????

About my Blog

I guess some of you may be wondering why I titled my blog "Walk a Mile in My Merrells." Actually, I'm even wondering why! But let me emote for a few lines, and perhaps that and a little therapy later will help me to know. You're on your own!

Merrells, of course, refers to shoes....a particular brand, actually, most of which are shoes for ACTIVE people....like hikers, kayakers, walkers, rock-climbers, etc. While I enjoy a good little walk from time to time, I don't consider myself any of the former, even by the farthest stretch of the imagination! I'm nearly 55 years old, and I have some health issues that keep me from being as active as I'd like, but nevertheless, I'm just not one of those crazy adventurous types.....PHYSICALLY!

But I have two sons, and the older one is constantly telling me that I need to get some Merrells!! Now, I know that what he wants is for me to go hiking with him...and most of the time I would love to go...especially if I could trust him not to drag me to some crazy trail with rocks and cliffs, and inclines in excess of 80 degrees! (He can't be trusted.) But what he tells me is, 'You need to get some Merrells.' 'Dad, you need these Merrells!' and 'Dad, they have Merrells over at __________, and they're only $89!!!'

I also love to travel. I would rather travel than do just about about anything else. I love the opportunities to see new places, meet new people, and experience new things! I also love to share those experiences with anyone who is interested, so beginning a travel blog seemed to be a great way to begin! So, all you friends out there....WALK A MILE IN MY MERRELLS (yes, I do own a pair now!)...please enjoy my travels, and my ramblings, and my photographs, set to verbiage herein! Let me know what you like, what you don't like, and even ask questions if you like! I hope you get to travel too, if you like traveling, and I hope you will consider sharing your travels with others as well!

George Hoffman

The Global Citizenship Project at Shenandoah University

I want to explain a bit about the Global Citizenship Project at SU, which has afforded me this incredible opportunity for travel and cultural exchange.

The Global Citizenship Project was inspired by long-time friend and former trustee of Shenandoah University, Dr. Nancy Larrick Crosby, who charged the university to find a way to impact across the institution in some significant way and consistent with our mission. Dr. Crosby was a tireless advocate for literacy around the world. Her model for engaging communities in the global context set the stage for what inspires with our students and community today, the Global Citizenship Project.

GCP is an opportunity to travel abroad during spring break each year with an academic focus in a group-oriented and faculty-led experience. 5-6 destinations are selected each year along with 5-6 very experienced faculty scholars to lead each group.

Full-time members of the university community - students, faculty as well as staff - submit streamlined applications that seek to identify those whose passion for the opportunity to learn abroad can be heard in a short essay (although not exclusively, the focus is on first-generation global travelers). Applicants do not know where they will be going each year and apply ready to be sent anywhere in the world (destinations not on the U.S. State Department warning list).

The university removes all barriers to participation except for one - passion! Expenses are paid apart from incidentals, logistics are handled by the institution, and anxiety is reduced with group-oriented, faculty-guided travel. Destinations are announced shortly after selection. Destination groups are formed with 11 participants each (seven students, two staff, and one faculty member plus the faculty scholar leading the group) representing the diversity of the institution on each trip.

Upon return, an intentional effort is made to stimulate dissemination of the experiences and lessons learned back into our various communities - on campus (through programs like Creative Scholarship Day), into the local community (through outreach programs into the schools as one example), and into student's home communities (through press release and media interviews).

There are 5 destination groups this year: Sweden, the Bahamas, Australia, Paraguay, and Ethiopia. I am traveling with the Ethiopia team. We leave on March 4^th, and will return on March 13^th.