PC - Final flight info and my "to do" list

My departure date is staring me in the face. I leave Atlanta September 27, the country September 29, and I arrive in Cameroon September 30. Here's how it works:

I fly to Philadelphia Wednesday morning (9/27) for two days of "Staging", which is what the PC calls orientation. In Philly, I meet the other volunteers and have to go to a bunch of seminars, with names such as "A Slice of Life: Coping with Unwanted Attention," "Personal Definition of Success," and "Crossing Cultures". I also have to get any shots that I need the morning of departure.

Friday night (9/29) I fly from the Illadelph to Paris. Sadly, we're only in Paris for 90 minutes instead of the two weeks I was hoping for. From gay Paris, we fly to Yaounde via Douala, arriving in Cameroun (French spelling) at 5:50 PM September 30. We'll be travelling in an Airbus A340-300, so stop asking already!

I have a list of things I need to do to get ready in the next two weeks or so, some of which include:

• Optometrist - I need two pairs of glasses (no contacts - I'm gonna be a goggle-face for two years), and I'm thinking of getting either prescription sunglasses or one of those clip-on things if I'm feeling especially dorky.
• Shoes - I need a sturdy and comfortable pair of shoes that I can use for both work and walking around. Also, a new pair of tennis shoes/sneakes/kicks, whatever you want to call it.
• A couple of shirts that can be used for work and play
• A bottle of Sex Panther, it's illegal in nine countries and is guaranteed to work 60% of the time all the time.
• A pair of pants, preferably darker than normal khaki and made of light fabric
• New socks, underwear, undershirts, etc.

The list really isn't too long, or at least not as a long as I thought. A lot of things I can get over there, and I'm pretty set on luggage (bought a suitcase Friday). I'm more worried about forgetting something I already have than buying a whole lot of new things.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I can bring a total of 80 pounds of checked baggage.

I'll keep posting as I get closer and when things pop into my head. It sounds like I have a lot to do, but I really have a lot of free time on my hands (way too much, actually). It's just the stress of leaving that's the real obstacle.

As for right now, I'm going to watch the OSU-Texas game, think about Notre Dame's stomping of Penn State, and laugh to myself about Juventus barely getting a tie in their first Serie B game.