Things I’d Do Differently.

Hindsight being 20/20, here's a list (subject to additions) of things I'd do differently if I could redo the trip.

1. Take my son on the visit to his family.
2. Stay at least 4 more days, but probably another week!
3. Take my older son to Ethiopia with me.
4. Suck up the exhaustion/sleep deprivation and have fun from the start.
5. Sit in the front seat of the vehicles (instead of the backseat like some Richie Rich character) and chat with the drivers right from the start.
6. Remember more names.
7. Keep a journal.
8. Take a poser photo of my son and the other kids "graduating" the same week. (And one of the parents.)
9. Learn how to videotape so the viewer doesn't get nauseous when viewing playback.
10. Take more photos (yeah, apparently I didn't get everything in my 487 shots).
11. Related to #2, see more of the city and areas within driving distance of Addis.
12. Take a disposable camera to leave with my son's family so I could get photos of the people who weren't able to be there.
13. Remember the spare video cassette for the camera on the trip South.
14. Pack spare pants for me in the carry-on bag home.
15. Not take the last flight of the day.  Have all of my airline tickets connected on one itinerary.
16. Not let the people from home who disrupted my plans/ideas for how I want/wanted things to be to affect me long term.