You Say Yes

I guess it’s a common technique in improvisational comedy to say “yes, and…” when you’re reacting to or accepting the comedic baton from one of your on-stage performers. The idea is that you can keep a better flow going on stage by being positive, taking their ideas and moving forward, rather than starting over from scratch with your own. It seems like you can apply this to travel as well; sure there will be uncomfortable, confused moments but there will also be laughter too and probably some amazing memories!

The last time that Liz, my dad (aka Tim) and I (collectively TimB’Liz from here on out) went on an overseas trip together was our 2006 bike tour of Tuscany. If you think back on a trip like that, it’s pretty clear that the things you remember aren’t the things you didn’t do. Instead, it’s all the things you did: the times you said “yes!”

We’re very excited and privileged to be exploring parts of Africa with an old high school friend of Tim’s along with his Ugandan friend Denis. Denis has agreed to be our guide for major portions of the trip, which will give us a perspective that we would never be able to duplicate on our own. It’s with much gratitude that we take this time-out from our day-to-day lives. We couldn’t do it without the help of Ed & Linda and our neighbors for checking in and taking care of our house. Nor could we forget to send a big shout-out to George for taking care of our dogs! We’ll miss them but they’ll get some solid Knapp Creek time and come back all warm and rested.

So, as over a year of planning culminates tomorrow, we say:

• Yes to Istanbul, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda!
• No to February in Wisconsin!
• Hello to new friends, Jeff and Denis!
• Goodbye to Marjorie, who is visiting her sister and family in Atlanta for the duration!