Departures and Arrivals.

Life is good, and it only gets better.

The past few weeks in Austin have been fantastic. Not only do I feel like I am really starting to belong to the community here, but I am also learning how to utilize the resources and wealth of knowledge surrounding me. I went to a beekeeping class, kayaked on town lake, and tubed down the river in San Marcos. I have eaten some of the most delicious food on the planet. And I have enjoyed spending time with people I love. Needless to say, I am pretty glad that I made the move from Hawaii to Austin in February.

Timing is a funny thing. Just as I was starting to feel established and comfortable with my life in Austin, it was time for me to leave for the summer to go to Nigeria. I accepted a position working with the Chife Foundation to help develop a public health care system in a new city in Africa. This opportunity provides a chance to make a difference on a larger scale than a private practice while working with visionaries. The goal is to create a model for future African development. While I have lots of ideas about what I will be doing and what to expect, there are more unknowns than knowns. Here's what I do know:
-I will be living in rural Nigeria for two and a half months, doing a combination of surveying (health surveys, etc) and collaborating with other experts to make recommendations for the new city project.
-Stacy will be there. And seven other interns, whose names I have seen in an email.
-I will have a chance to work with other really amazing people (interns, Chife employees, Anam community members).
-I will get to learn about Nigeria and have to opportunity to make a contribution.

So on May 29, I boarded a plane bound for Lagos.

About an hour into the flight, there was an announcement over the loud speaker: "We are looking for a doctor or nurse to help with a medical situation. If you are a doctor or a nurse, please contact a flight attendant immediately." After a brief moment of hesitation, when I wondered if I was really prepared to declare myself so publicly on a plane, I made eye contact with a flight attendant who asked if I could help. After introducing myself as Dr. Strickler, I quickly felt that I had control of the situation and the moment of hesitation was long forgotten. Luckily we didn't need to reroute the plane, nor did I need to perform any drastic measures. A simple exam with questioning and some paperwork later, everything was in order. It was a good reminder of how comprehensively I was trained for myriad situations. It also made me wonder what was in store for me once we landed in Nigeria.

I made it safely to Lagos after 14 hours of travel. Before even making it through customs, I met four of the seven other interns, which only contributed to the excitement of arriving. After getting our luggage and yellow fever cards checked, we were swooped from the airport to a hotel, where we ate our first Nigerian meal. I managed to sleep the whole night through even with the time difference (Nigeria is six hours ahead of CST). And prepare for another day of travel before getting to Ebenebe, the site of the new Anam city.