let me lay it out for ya'

So I realize that a lot of people don't even really know what Ava Michelle and I are doing for the next five months of our lives. Typically that would have been my first blog post but clearly I had other things on my mind for that one.
If you don't already know this about me, you will quickly learn that I love lists. So here you go...

Nov. 13: leave for Zambia!!!
Nov. 14 - Jan. 12: Livingstone, Zambia

• Ava Michelle and I will both be working at Heart Spring Orphanage during the weekdays- helping cook, cleaning, playing with the kids, tutoring, etc.         (http://www.heartspringorphanage.org/)
• After we get off work and on the weekends, we can explore the city of Livingstone (where we will be living and basically a bit of a rundown tourist spot), visit Victoria Falls, or go on a safari!
• We are living in a hostel in Livingstone, that's all I know.

Jan. 12 - Jan. 18: Cape Town, South Africa

• We realized we have a 10 day gap between our volunteer placements so we decided to spend part of it in Cape Town just relaxing and enjoying the lack of a schedule.

Jan. 19 - mid March (no ticket has been bought yet): Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• We are both living with a family in the city.
• Ava Michelle is teaching English.
• I am working with an organization called International Cooperation Cambodia doing Social Work stuff with orphanages.                            (http://www.icc.org.kh/activities/sky)

mid March - early April: Visiting some family friends in the Philippines.

early April: America bound!!!

As far as progress on pre-trip planning, we are pretty much good to go! We will buy our plane tickets to the Philippines and back home right before we leave. *FYI: the best time to get international plane tickets is 4 months and 1 week before departure date.* Then comes the packing list and trying to fit everything into the 2 bags I have allotted myself. Until then, just enjoying time with friends and trying to get everything squared away for the 5 months I'll be gone.