my black duffel bag

I've had my black duffel bag for quite a while, at least eight years. This bag has been to Seattle, the United Kingdom, Johnsonburg (I think I first got the bag to take when I did the Leadership Training Program in 2002, actually, and then it's come with me every summer I've worked here), college, western Pennsylvania and the Eastern Shore, among other adventures. One of the zippers has been broken almost the entire time I have owned the bag. There's a collection of miscellaneous airline luggage and other identifying tags.


You can see the black duffel bag under my left leg. This is in Seattle-Tacoma Airport, shortly after I graduated from high school in 2004.

One week from today, that bag will be accompanying me to Malawi! This is an adventure I've wanted to go on for a long time, maybe not always specifically to Malawi, but somewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa to do some sort of positive work. Actually, I've probably been hoping for an adventure like this for about as long as I've owned this black duffel bag. My interest first came from learning songs from southern Africa in choir at church. In college, I focused most of my research projects on different issues affecting Africa. And now, I'm finally going to see what it's like for myself.

But today, that black duffel bag will be filled with the things I've had with me at camp this summer. I don't have much here with me-- mostly books, in fact. Johnsonburg is a pretty awesome place and it's always sad to leave. I'm glad I worked here again this summer after a few years away. If nothing else, spending time in the woods has been extremely calming. Working in the kitchen, the hardest question of my day was something like, which vegetables do I need to cut for the next meal? Has the trash been taken out? Do I need to brew another pot of coffee? which frees me to contemplate the more convoluted questions of my thesis. Have I finished that paper yet? No. And it's unlikely that it will be completely done before I leave next week. However, this summer has given me time to figure out the next few steps, which include teaching part time at Rutgers for another semester while finishing up the Masters and looking for more permanent work. And I have been able to get a lot of work done toward the thing in between hiking and swimming in the lake. Oh, and working in the kitchen. In about 24 hours, I'll be done here for the summer and I'll be loading that duffel bag into my car, to head home, do laundry, and start getting organized for Malawi and whatever follows.