52 Days: Not hunting, but gathering

Thinking about packing can kill a man! The thought of throwing my life into luggage (never mind the 80 lbs. limit) took its toll. I'm barely sleeping due to my fascination (and spite) for all things wilderness. The bags under my eyes are ridiculous. What do I buy? What do I take from my Madison life? What kind of fashion will I hold onto in a foreign country?! Ultimately, I refuse to clash. No black and brown for this guy. Taking matters into my own hands, I made the first monumental move. I bought a backpack/daypack. I had to do it online (sports shops are too scary to go it alone), but I knew it was a good fit from my Fontana experience. Needless to say, I bought a backpack that is not a frame pack nor a huge massive back-eating monster. I bought a moderate (never conservative! eww) backpack and I will use my mid-sized suitcase. Yes, I challenged myself to fit my life in less (much less) than the 80 lbs. limit. I will succeed. In other shopping news (this shopping isn't as glorious as my NYC trips, but c'est dommage),  I bought shus (also known as shoes). Chacos sandals remind me of Jesus sandals, and that says a lot as I haven't been to church in years. Also, see Teva shoes for some hint of fashion in the great outdoors. Talk about diamond in the rough. I can't wait to continue my shopping excursions, much less the packing bit. On a more intellectual note, I bought the first book to take with me to Uganda. It is about education, go figure. It is by educational philosophers and teachers from Namibia. They discuss democratic teacher reform and issues of identity reformation after colonialism. It is a book I started reading this fall, but I  never finished it. Alas, I will read it and it will be my bible as I go into Uganda. To all my education peers and professionals, if you have any other suggestions for books on teacher education or anything else having to do with teaching, please drop a line anytime. I value your wisdom and would love to know what books influenced your own classrooms and identities.  This is too exciting, I have to go and research shortwave radios to calm me down.