To REI and back

So the other day was my big REI adventure. I knew I needed some pretty crucial things for Uganda, and I also was interested in all the crazy stuff they have there anyway. So I spent 2 hours and spent..... well, let's just say I spent a pretty penny. Thank you, DOD. (The irony that a salary from a DOD grant regarding nuclear proliferation is paying for me to prepare for an utterly peaceful development project in rural Uganda will not soon be lost on me). Anyway, the funding aspect is not the point. I got to REI and immediately felt like a poser. I'm not outdoorsy. I'm not a cyclist. I'm not a climber. I pride myself on knowing the order in which to place various flamable materials on a fire in order to sustain ignition. I also once knew how to pop popcorn in a can over an open fire. Thank you, one year of girl scouting. So there I was, self-professed outdoor novice in the middle of the outdoorsy person's equivalent of the Nordstrom women's sale. The hilarious thing about how ridiculous I felt is that I'm not even really that girly. I just appreciate a good pair of Italian pumps and a good silk dress. I tackled my clothing goal first because it was the one I was most comfortable with. Two pairs of shorts made of fabric with "UPF 50" whatever that is and a multitude of pockets made the cut. Then I found a sun hat. And a pair of hiking sandals. And then I got to the crazy stuff: a headlamp (for those midnight trips to the loo), a pack of biodegradable shampoo paper leaves, organic soap, and a super lightweight towel. It was good fun. And now the pile on my futon of stuff-that-will-eventually-be-packed-for-Africa is making me feel like I'm actually going to Uganda. It's going to be crazy, and I can't wait.