I'm Going to Write a Book...

...says every English teacher/former English teacher I've ever known, including me.

But really, I've been sitting on this book for more than ten years now. I've started it in my mind while walking the dogs countless times, but unfortunately, that doesn't count.

One of my 30b430 goals was to write at least one chapter of said book, which I did during National Novel Writing Month in 2012. However, I absolutely hated what I came up with. I can't even post it here. I can't even look at it right now.

Two years later, I have some inspiration. I think it's because I'm out of the classroom and done with my Master's and I need a new project. I was mostly inspired by NPR-- of course.

I wrote a micro story. From there, I've been organizing documents, doing research, and talking, talking, talking about it with friends and family (my apologies for not being able to talk about anything else). I've realized a few things from all of this pre-pre-writing:
1) I write better in vignettes and I need to stick with that.
2) I'm pretty good at research and I need to do something with that.
3) It's okay that it took this long to really start.
4) This is going to be hard.

I realize that it is irritating that I'm not saying what this book is about, but I'm not ready yet. In the next few months I'm hoping to...
1) Meet with an archivist who will help me figure out who to best transcribe documents, file, and organize them.
2) Transcribe documents, file, and organize them.
3) Write the prologue and first few chapters.
4) Complete a few interviews.

We'll see where this goes.

Hey Miss Mari, Thanks for the Immunizations

Since it's my first time ever traveling out of the country, everything I do is a marvel to me. It's new, fun, and scary... just like learning how to drive. Hopefully I won't get stuck on a bridge during a flash flood like I did during driver's training. I apologize if it's not a marvel to you, but try to think back to the first time you ever went anywhere that required so much prep work. It's a learning experience that I'll never get to repeat (thank god).

These are the immunizations that helpful Mother Mari at WMU's Sindecuse Health Center injected into me last Wednesday:

Yellow Fever

Meningitis 

Hepatitis A 

Tetanus

Measles, Mumps, and Rubella 

I got two in my right arm and three in my left arm:

If I could do it again... I wouldn't.

This is what's coming into my bod through a needle next week (or in the next few weeks... my poor arms are still recovering):
H1N1 (no matter how much I refuse to get flu shots because I've never had them, I've gotta get it together)
Polio

Many of these immunizations were ones that I should have gotten a few many years ago. Oops! I really do recommend Miss Mari at Sindecuse to anyone in the Kalamazoo area who has to get immunizations for travel. She took her time with me and was very comforting. She even lined up the band aids for me:

Very motherly, if you like hemming and hawing, which I LOVE

My personal favorite immunization isn't in shot form: It's the oral live Typhoid tablets that I had to carry home in a giant cooler. They are resting in our fridge next to the fat free mozzarella until I decide to take them:

Yum! Tastes like a third world disease! I kid, I kid.

Last, but not least, Miss Mari sent my on my merry way with some pills for the road:

1. In my right hand: A giant horse pill sized anti-biotic that will kill any bug normal anti-diarrheal can't kill. I guess it pretty much kills any bug in your body. Cool!
2. In my left hand: A crazy expensive malaria medicine. I'm glad I have insurance. I was going for the mid-priced anti-malaria medicine but when I told her I have mild anxiety I found out that there is a risk for night terrors and psychotic breaks which would be a very uncool experience on another continent. I first heard about memory loss and psychotic breaks from act 3 of a This American Life Episode that scared the shit out of me. That's what I get for listening to NPR. Thank goodness for the comfort of Miss Mari.

That's the most current trip update. I am now happily equipped with my International Certificate of Vaccination, which was the whole purpose of those immunizations in the first place:

Okay, can we leave now?