Tanzania Expedition Diary 2/24/94

I went to college and grad school to become an archeologist.  I probably saw too many Indiana Jones moveis and national geographic magazines when I was younger.  I got this idea into my head that I could expore the world, have great adventures, satisfy my intellect, and have a cushy job as a University Professor all at the same time.  Only some of that turned out to be true.

Ultimately I left archeology because I had theoretical problems with how we could interpret human behavior in the archeological record way back in the 1.8 Million Year ago time frame (the one I was working in), as well as a belief that living a long life and being an African Archeologist might not be coexisting goals.  My experiences were really somewhat similar to what you find in Peter Matthiessen's The Tree Where Man was Born (the quintessential modern treatise on travel to Africa as a Westerner).  Finally, I didn't think that being in the field for months at a time, incommunicado was a just way to treat a spouse and raise a family.  Of course, this was all before the dawn of mobile communications as we know them today.

But I thought I would share some of my Journals of my final trip to Africa.  Unfortunaltey I only have part of them -- my field notes are missing.  But some of you might find this to be an interesting story.  My maturity level or lack thereof shows through at times, and I hadn't composed these to be read by a larger audience -- so forgive the flights of juvenility...   I'll post an entry every few days or so...

At JFK Airport  Feb 24th 1994 7:15PM

Well, I'm sitting here at gate 5 of JFK Airport, looking out at the Concord parked at the next gate and wishing I was on that plane.  It's amazing how small the cabin really is compared to the 747 I'll be flying on.  This trip is already off to a crummy start.  My grandmother gave me a tiny gold "Angel on my Shoulder' pin, which I clipped to my jacket.  I lost it before I even got into the airport.  Fortunately I still have my St. Anthony/St. Christopher medal that I imagine my great Uncle Carried with him in World War II.  Not only did I lose that gift, but it seems my baggage was improperly checked onto an invalid flight to Nairobi.  The ticket agents assure me it will arrive on the proper flight anyway, but we shall see.  I won't have an opportunity to wait for it in case of a lte arrival in Nairobi -- so I may have to be all new clothes in Kenya or Tanzania.
Travis, one of my expedition mates is on this flight with me (there are three others -- Henry, my Graduate advisor, Scott, and Shawn) and we discussed wheter we would go sightseeing in London tomorrow, since we have a rather long layover in Heathrow for the flight to Jomo Kenyatta Airport.  Sightseeing won't be very easy with my 40 pounds of carryon luggage -- mostly the video camcorder I brought along...Looks like we are boarding...