Packing

Packing for a trip is always a sweet mix of excitement and worry. "I'm leaving in 2 days!", "Do I have enough pants?", "Did I give my parents a copy of my passport?", "I can't believe its finally time."

I can't believe it's this close. My heart pounds as I stuff insect repellent and clothes into an empty backpack. Each heartbeat is a second closer to my long awaited journey, a journey I would even consider calling an odyssey (given that Homer allows me). Time can't seem to go fast enough. I've waited long for this opportunity and it is so close. I'm ready to make a difference. I'm excited.

Am I prepared? I'm worried that maybe I should buy a pair of REI pants. Do I have enough money for 3 months abroad. I better not forget my malaria pills. Are my tennis shorts thick enough to prevent bug bites? My Swahili is not that great, I hope I can pick it up fast. Will I-House accept my application for housing? What will I do if I don't get housing? Will I get the oppurtunity to achieve what I set to accomplish? I'm worried.

A question asked:

Is AIDS just an inevitable form of population control as was the black plague?

AIDS is not a form of population control because people know exactly how to prevent a new infection. Numerous studies have provided us with enough information to know exactly how this disease spreads and how it debilitates the human body. It is not the weak and helpless that fall victim to this disease; it is the poor and uneducated that are infected by HIV. In many developed countries, HIV education and treatment is top-notch and there has been great success in reversing the spread of this disease. In many third world countries, however, HIV infections are still on a rampant rise. For example, pregnant mothers in many developing countries can not afford or do not know about drugs such as Nevirapine that reduce the chances of mother to child HIV transmission by 50%. In a country like America, a pregnant HIV+ mother would not even have blink before doctors started her on Nevirapine. The spread of AIDS is not a population control; it is the absence of education and international intervention.