I was up at 5:37 this morning wide awake. Guess my brain is a little anxious! I’m starting to feel nervous about all the traveling, mostly things like security, getting my two carry-ons on board safely, delays – the usual. Crossing my fingers all goes well.
I did 45 minutes of Heart Opening Flow #1 from 7-7:45. I’ve slacked off on yoga this week (being slightly burned out after last Saturday) but boy did it feel good to s—t—r—e—t—c—h again! I’ve got a weird pain in my chest this morning. Maybe I pulled something at the gym yesterday? Hopefully I am not on the verge of a heart attach…. hence the heart opening flow today!
Matt brought home this Great Harvest Oatmeal yesterday as a surprise, so I had it as a farewell to whipped banana oatmeal.
The oatmeal mix has milk solids, brown sugar, cranberries, almonds and I think raisins? Maybe some other ingredients – they are working to change over to put them all on the label. I used a half a cup portion and ended up adding in some 9 grain cereal too because it was rather liquidy and I worried it would thicken differently (because the nuts took up some of the space so I had less oat-per-portion so the water was a little off).
The Mix:
- 1/2 cup oatmeal mix, 1 tbsp 9 grain, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 banana
- 1 tbsp flax
- 1/4 cup-ish Whitney in Chicago’s granola
- Few toffee pieces
- Small spoonful TJ’s PB
The mix was definitely sweetened and I wasn’t crazy about the texture – it gelled a little!? I am anti-gelatinization 
More of the delicious new Chicago coffee!
Note my furry Quaker bathrobe sleeve in the photo!
For dessert I scraped out the last few edges of our empty Barney Butter! I told Matt a nice welcome home gift would be a new jar 
Housekeeping
- I WILL be blogging during my travels, most likely once a day. Stay tuned!
- I WILL be reading comments but I WILL NOT be responding!! Please re-ask any questions when I get home.
- Matt will be posting some and will be in charge of moderating any inappropriate comments (as will I when I have internet).
- While I certainly plan to capture lots of the meals I’ll be eating, I probably won’t be able to do an hour by hour recap of my eats/activities like I normally do. Hope you understand I might just do some photo recaps and keep the commentary short. It’s much quicker + easier to snap a photo than it is to explain all the ingredients on a plate of unknown foods!
- I’m going to take some videos but I’ll save those for my return posts
Here is my schedule. Please share with any readers who ask!
Saturday: Fly to Atlanta, 3 hour layover, fly to Amsterdam
Sunday: 3 hour layover, 9 hour flight to Nairobi, arrive in Kenya at 8:30p, dinner in the hotel
Monday: TBD, dinner with the group that night.
Tuesday: Flight to Kericho, begin tea estate activities
Wednesday: TEA tours!
Thursday: Depart from estate and travel through National Park, dinner in Nairobi
Friday: TBD, 10p flight to Amsterdam
Saturday: Arrive in Detroit, short layover, arrive in Charlotte 3pm, attend pot luck St. Patty’s party with our friends!
Just took my first malaria pill. Yikes!!
{ 100 comments… read them below or add one }
HAVE FUN!! I am super jealous and look forward to reading about the trip!
Have a GREAT trip! Your schedule looks fantastic.
I can’t believe you will be able to blog once a day- wow I expected you to be out of blogging for the whole trip! I can’t wait to see your posts.
SAFE TRAVELS!
OMG!! HAPPY TRAVELS!! we’ll miss you, ENJOY!
Don’t be nervous!!! ENJOY IT TO THE FULLEST, DEAR KATH!!!
Have a safe trip! Can’t wait to see pictures from there!
Have SO MUCH FUN!
Have a wonderful and safe trip! I can’t wait to hear about it!!
Have a great time lady! Enjoy your time there, take lots of pics, try new foods and learn a ton! This is a great opportunity and you will have a blast! Be safe and know we are thinking of you back here!
Hope you have a safe trip! Best wishes!
I don’t always comment but i always read your blog. Have a great trip and can’t wait to hear all about it!!
Have a safe and wonderful trip!!! I can’t wait to read about your adventures!
HAVE A FABULOUS TIME!!! I am so excited for you!!!!
Wishing you safe travels!
have so much fun!!!! Be safe and enjoy every minute
HAVE AN AMAZING TIME!!!!!!!!!!
Have a fabulous trip, and travel safe!
can’t wait to hear about it, have a great time!!!!
HAVE FUN KATH!!!! Take loads of fun pictures!!!
Safe & happy travels! Have a blast
Safe travels!! I can’t wait to see pics!
Ahhh!! I’m so excited for you!!! Have a SAFE trip there, and amazing time while your traipsing about Africa, and a SAFE trip back!
ahhh, Kath I am super excited for you! Can’t wait to read all about your trip. Have a great time!!!
Have a wonderful time on your trip! It sounds like it will be amazing!
Hi Kath,
Just in case, take photocopies of your passport and travel documents and keep it separate from the originals. Just in case anything is lost during your trip, it will speed the travel process!! Take your sleeping eye cover (forgot name!?) too!
Have a great and safe trip! You may just come back a changed woman!!
Kath, Have a great trip! Have lots of fun. Talk to you when you get back!
zest!
have a wonderful flight/trip! can’t wait for pics and vidsss!!
Have a FABULOUS time!! I can’t wait to hear about your travels!! Hope all of your flights are on time and you have little to no problems with carry on & luggage!!!
ENJOY IT!!!
Have an amazing and safe trip Kath!!!
And I thought I had it bad with my flight!
I hope you have safe travels Kath! Can’t wait to see what happens there =)
Good Luck Kath! Safe Travels
Have fun and safe travels/adventures!!! I hope you have a fantabulous time!!!!!
Have a super fabulous time!! I can’t wait for your upcoming blog posts whilt your on your trip.
Have a safe and wonderful trip!
So if Matt buys the next round of Barney Butter while you’re gone, will he be permitted to eat some of it?
This is so exciting and adventurous! Can’t wait to read the updates and see the photos. What a great opportunity for you…and your readers
Thanks everyone!!!
Lori,
Already done! But great travel tip.
Nate,
Absolutely not!!!
K
Safe travels and have a blast!!
You are brave and I hope you have an amazing trip! I have been reading for months now, and this is my first comment. I wanted to add that sometimes anxiety can cause odd little chest pains. I’m sure the yoga helped!
Kath, when you get to Amsterdam, (my commute is SFO to AMS for work ) check out Back to Life,its on Holland Ave in the terminal . they do chair massages, I always get one before my 11 hour flight back home. It makes all the difference. Also right next to it is a muesum, its free and worth the visit.
Have a safe trip.
Wendy
Your trip sounds so exciting and fun – I can’t wait to hear all about it! Have fun and stay safe!!
Have soooo much fun! So cool that you get to go to a faraway land where lots of people will never get to go! Enjoy the experience!
Have a safe & enjoyable trip!!!
Have fun!!!
Hi Kath;
Almost forgot, in the terminal at Schipol, there is an Albert Heijn store , its the local grocery store, they sell fresh fruit juice in glass bottles, its one of my anit-jet lag rituals when I land. My favorit is the cherry juice and also the blood orange .
Good luck with your travels to and fro, and of course have an AMAZING time.
Can’t wait for your pictures and recaps!
Have fun, Kath. This sounds so exciting!
I hope you have a wonderful time! Save travels!
Diana
have a wonderful trip kath! safe travels!
Have a safe and wonderful trip! Can’t wait to hear about it
Wow, I’d be so excited–and nervous–at the same time!! Have fun and we’ll enjoy those times you do get to pop in!
Michele
Have a GREAT trip!!! I can’t wait to read all about it!
Have SAFE TRAVELS!!!
I didn’t know you were going to be in Detroit – hope you enjoy our airport
sounds like a neat trip! i had malaria…be careful! I even took the prophalaxyis–luckily you’re going to be at the end of the dry season.
I’m so excited for you! What a great experience it will be! Have fun and be careful! I can’t wait to hear all about your adventure
Have fun. I can’t wiat to hear about your travels. What an amazing opportunity.
Have a safe trip. Enjoy yourself ! Tell Matt to get Barney Butter at Fresh Market.
I’m so excited for you. Enjoy every moment! Can’t wait to see your photos and read your posts.
Kath, you are going to have such a great time! I can’t wait to read your posts. Have fun!
P.S.: Strange chest pains sometimes come from your back.. I’ve had that before and in my weird hypochondriac way I thought I was dying but I really just had to stretch and get some heat on my back.
eeeeeeeek, have so much fun and be safe!
good luck with the malaria pills! the ones i took for peru made me super-moody and very dazed, so i stuck to taking them on a full stomach and right before bed, and that helped TONS (just in case you run into any trouble …)
your itin sounds AMAZING!! i can’t wait until your pics start rolling in
Bye Kath . . . SAFE TRAVELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get back to us in one piece!!!!!!!!
=)
Have fun Kath!!
And don’t be too worried about Malaria — I’ve had soo many professors who have had it and their medicine helped them get through it.
Have a safe trip, Kath! What an awesome opportunity!!! I’m excited to hear about it.
Good luck Kath!! We’ll miss you! Be safe!
Have a wonderful time! I will miss you too but look forward to some fantastic stories! Have a safe trip! How many people get to say that they’ve been to Africa! so cool
Does GH make a product that isn’t phenomenal?! I don’t think so.
Safe travels to you!
Hope you have a safe and wonderful trip! Who woulda thought kerf goes to africa! lol!
Hey Kath- I’m so excited for you and your trip! I hope your flights aren’t too bad- I get serious sinus pressure during landings.
I just read your post about some of the packaged foods your bringing and just wanted to say that even though they say you can just add cold water to the Rokit Fuel, I really don’t recommend it. It tastes much better hot!
Have a great trip!
Have a safe and enjoyable trip, Kath! I am so exited for you and am so glad that you get to have this once in a lifetime experience. You totally deserve it!
Have a safe trip, can’t wait to read all about it!
Enjoy your trip!!!!
Best of luck, Kath!! I hope you have an amazing trip – I can’t wait to read all about it
Safe travels!!
Happy trails.
Have an amazing trip!
Have an incredible incredible trip!! Please don’t worry about not posting as frequently and don’t spend too much time on the computer while you’re there…. enjoy Africa!! I’m so excited to hear about your experience!
Safe travels!!!!
WOW KATH! Have an AMAZING time–can’t wait to hear about all of your delicious adventures!
good luck and be safe!!
Oh you’re going to have so much fun Kath! I can’t wait to see your pictues! Have a great flight!
Good luck with your traveling dear Kath!
I am in <3 with those oats, especially the color and flava! 
Looking froward to the videos! 
Have a safe trip!
I see you’re laying over in Detroit, although the city itself is a disgrace–we have a wonderful airport. There are tons of shops and restaurants and such. I’m sure you’ll be rather worn out by the time you arrive there. But if it makes you feel better, Michigan has been offering subsidies for movie productions and movie stars have been spotted recently. George Clooney was there a few weeks ago. So, keep your eyes peeled.
Oh, and safe travels!
Have a wonderful trip–what an adventure this will be!
Have fun Kath! We’ll miss you!
That sounds so fun!! Enjoy your time there and be sure to take advantage of everything you can… this is really a once-in-a-lifetime experience!! Good luck! Can’t wait to hear about it!
be safe and we’ll miss you too!
don’t stress over posting, enjoy the tea trip and get some vacay out of as well. ciao!
Hope you have a safe and awesome trip!!!! can’t wait to see pictures and hear all about it!
diana
Have a wonderful time and know there are lots of readers here thinking of you and looking forward to hearing about your journey!
Here’s to tea!
Kathi
I am so excited for you! Don’t worry about us readers…we will be chomping at the bit for any updates, so even if you only do one we will be happy!
Hope you soak up the environment and learn a lot! Safe travels!
travel safe, kath!
Have a great journey! Take lots of pictures!
Kath- Have so much fun. I can’t wait to hear all about it!
Hey Kath! I went to South Africa 2 years ago – it turned me into a vegetarian for a year with all the game meat – kudu and warthog – they were serving so I’m interested to hear what your experience with the food will be like! Good luck with the malaria pills – almost everyone I traveled with had crazy dreams on them (I didn’t) – we called them “Malarone Dreams” (sung to the tune of Billy Ocean’s “Caribbean Queen”) Bon Voyage!!!
Have fun Kath!
Hi Kath,
I’m usually a “quiet reader” and rarely comment, but I follow your blog almost every day.
I hope you will have a wonderful trip to Kenya! My boyfriend spent his childhood in Kenya and Tanzania, where his parents were as UN diplomats, and he always speaks fondly of his time there. The Masai Mara/Serengeti National Park is also one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to myself. I’m sure after your trip you will feel like you want to go back and explore more of the beautiful country one day…
Wishing you a safe trip, and looking forward to reading about your travels.
Emma
The malaria pill is gross, isn’t it?! I had a huge bottle of water ready each time I took one so I could chug away that horrible taste!
Have a safe trip.
enjoy the trip!!!! i cant wait to see all the pics of the adventures!
Wishes for a safe trip!
Kath, I know you’re in Amsterdam about now, so have an absolutely fabulous fabulous time in Africa!!!
Best wishes for a SAFE and FUN trip!!!
Love all the colors in your oatmeal bowl!
Wishing you safe travels!
ohh that oatmeal looks supper yummy!! I don’t have a Great Harvest in my area do they ship any of their products? or could you recommend me and good oatmeal thats healthy I’m trying to experiment with my oatmeal