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epitaphs

2011-11-17T10:54:00.001-05:00

On my last trip, I spent time catching up on magazine reading – a typical practice for long flights, and my recent flights were exceptionally long. It was within about a week of Steve Jobs’ passing, and it’s not an exaggeration to say that most publications had not just one, but multiple articles on the founder of Apple. I read the first few, but after that, I started to feel a bit, well, annoyed

laos

2011-10-31T10:22:00.000-04:00

Lovely Laos... it was amazing to be back in Asia again. The organization, the food, the smiley people -- I hadn't realized how much I'd missed it. I spent a week in the capital city, Vientiane, leading an advocacy workshop. This proved a fairly easy task, as Laos is one of the only communist countries left in the world, so the government makes all the decisions and pretty much laughs at external

d.c.

2011-10-02T19:49:00.010-04:00

“You can always come back.” I’ve been blessed to hear that phrase pretty much everywhere I’ve worked, but the magnetic force of one particular organization seems to be greater than any other. The call came mid-August, and of course, they wanted me to start the next week. So I loaded up the car (the dog and multiple dog beds included) and headed north, back to where I’d started this crazy career

madagascar 2.0

2011-06-15T19:11:00.003-04:00

It was my second time to the world’s fourth-largest island, and I was stunned to look back and realize that I had never written about my first trip there in 2008 – for shame! My take-away memory from that trip, though, was how REALLY rural Madagascar is – I was mostly in the northeastern coastal region, canvassing remote communities by day and sleeping in a thatched-roof bungalow on the beach at

bees

2011-05-18T12:34:00.002-04:00

It was no ordinary road trip. Usually the ride to the Delta and back is pretty straightforward -- 400 miles, maybe one stop, several Diet Cokes and a brown dog in the back seat. Yesterday, all of that was again the case, but with a few thousand additional passengers -- honey bees. My Dad added beekeeping to his many and varied list of hobbies last year (with delicious results), but I’m not sure

'stans

2011-04-23T14:07:00.005-04:00

By the time I've posted this, my springtime trip to Central Asia seems like a very long time ago. It was quite a journey to get there, but I was greeted by the friendliest of faces -- my dear sweet former colleague and housemate in Aceh, Elzat. She and her husband have been bouncing around the region the past few years as she's helped lead disaster preparedness throughout the region. I came to

nigeria 2.0

2011-03-06T19:10:00.028-05:00

Oh, Nigeria. I left you only months before with exalted hopes and shattered stereotypes. Little did I know you were not finished with me yet... This was a tough trip. A long trip. Confessionally, I dealt very poorly with the daily, mounting frustrations and aggravations. I even started writing a blog entry on the flight home, only to read it later and wince at my own incessant complaining. When

share a little light

2010-11-18T16:19:00.002-05:00

How many flashlights do you have? Personally, I have about 10, counting the normal size ones (mostly with corroded batteries), the one on my keychain, my headlamp and camping lantern. On the off-chance there is ever a power outage, I will certainly be well-lit! What about you? Is there a surplus of lighting devices in your life? Before you answer, let me

kenya

2010-09-09T17:32:00.004-04:00

It’s few times in our lives where work feels like a vacation, but my recent trip to Kenya was one of those times. I was met in Nairobi by one of my favorite colleagues ever and our journey into the remote coastal regions began almost immediately after watching the World Cup final. The project involved three of my favorite things – writing, photography and the Red Cross, so it was pretty much

nigeria

2010-08-26T15:52:00.005-04:00

Dear Supposed Nigerian Prince: Thank you for your many emails over the years. I was sorry to hear about your dire predicaments and unfortunate incarceration. Surely, you eventually received the millions of dollars you had coming to you, or at the least, enough to pay your outstanding tab at the internet café. I am writing today to share with you about my recent trip to your country, because

catching up

2010-08-24T18:58:00.006-04:00

I sat down to write earlier today and immediately launched into a predictable refrain = Oh, it’s been so long since I’ve written. I swore this wouldn’t happen again. I should always make time to write. And after several paragraphs of self-flagellation, I began reciting my travel itinerary over the past few months = First I went here, then I went there and did this, and it was all so awesome. Blah

gardening

2010-05-09T13:24:00.006-04:00

While I was away in sometimes-snowy Colorado, springtime came to Georgia. I drove back into my new neighborhood and thought for a moment I was on the wrong street – trees that had loomed leafless overhead had blossomed into a sweeping green canopy, connecting yard after yard in cozy shade. Daffodils had given way to azaleas, bursting with color -- sparkling white and pretty in pink. After a light

heroes

2010-04-17T15:10:00.003-04:00

I met Anne Lamott again last night. The first time I had just returned from Indonesia and was wrought with the emotion of transitioning home and, well, I was just nervous. She was one of my heroes in writing and life, and I wanted to tell her how reading Traveling Mercies was a watershed moment for me. The Cowgirl and I were the last in line, and I anxiously waited to have my moment. Of course,

eclipse

2010-04-13T15:54:00.002-04:00

I read an article about eclipses today in Afar, my new favorite magazine, and realized that I may be in the middle of one, or several. Not that the sun has mysteriously darkened here or anything (Denver is quite sunny), but it’s definitely an appropriate astrological metaphor for where I’m at right now. I came here like a pilgrim to begin Really Writing, and somewhere in my subconscious I must

stories

2010-04-01T09:14:00.004-04:00

The plane was about to touch down in Atlanta as I flipped closed the back cover of Don Miller’s most recent book. In it, Don shares about the process of turning his best-seller Blue Like Jazz into a movie. With the help of two film-makers, he learns story-writing basics for the big screen and discovered a whole new world of characters, conflict, inciting incidents, and fundamentally, that when

haiti3

2010-02-26T09:45:00.002-05:00

haiti2

2010-02-10T20:18:00.008-05:00

Photos now online here and a multimedia piece from yesterday's activities below...

haiti1

2010-02-07T22:34:00.002-05:00

At the end of my first full day I lay on my cot and scribbled first impressions in a rumpled notebook, trying not to let those initial reactions to this surreal experience slip away. That was just five short days ago, and as I look back now at those late night sentence fragments, it may as well have been a month ago. I had almost forgotten the marathon hours on a disaster

unwritten

2010-01-16T11:22:00.016-05:00

More than twenty inches of snow and 2,000 miles later, I drove back into Baltimore ready to jump. Driving has always been my thinking time -- from years of canvassing Delta backroads to meandering East Coast oceanside highways, open roads have always had a way of opening my heart. On the final stretch home, I listened to hours of talks from my new favorite motivational speaker, Lance Wallnau.

cheetah

2009-11-30T16:44:00.007-05:00

My first attempt at film-making! It's a rough cut so don't expect any Oscar nominations... yet :) It's in three separate segments, with a different window for each, so don't think I left you hanging!

safari

2009-10-19T23:03:00.010-04:00

Fall came while I was away. In two short weeks the kaleidoscope of Mid-Atlantic colors turned from crisp summer greens to hues of gold and crimson. It was birthday and football season, and my jackets were stuffed away in the front closet, far out of reach when I stepped off the plane from sunny, dusty Tanzania. I was a week in Zanzibar’s exotic sun but risked burns only from too much fluorescent

match

2009-08-29T20:54:00.005-04:00

My recent response to online dating... Well, that was a colossal waste of time.Not because he wasn’t nice enough or couldn’t carry a conversation. He wasn’t bad looking or too terribly awkward. He was a very normal guy, who was only a little nervous, and I really have nothing bad to say about him.But why is it that a few minutes of in-person conversation can tell you infinitely more about

expectant

2009-08-05T20:51:00.006-04:00

For months now, I have been counting babies – pregnant friends, friends delivering, another colleague with one on the way, and even a sister! Finally, I decided that I just had take a tally of this baby boom happening around me, and when I did, even I was shocked at the number – seventeen. That’s right, seventeen little ones that I know who have either recently arrived or are on the way. Is

weight

2009-02-15T14:42:00.005-05:00

The blog boycott has ended, without even me realizing it had begun. My last entry was wrenching to write. For weeks I worked to assemble the perfect words to hold my heart carefully suspended in a Word document. I wrote and edited and revised and prayed. After being the unsuspecting object of misplaced political frustration, I had wanted (perhaps too desperately) to explain my point of view, to

decisions

2008-10-31T00:51:00.009-04:00

I grew up in the rural Mississippi Delta, was in a Southern Baptist church every time the doors were open, and don’t remember actually “knowing” a Democrat until I was in college. The first election I voted in was 1992, and I remember being ecstatic when Dan Quayle came through town, after all I was an officer in the Young Republicans Club. Yet even then, it was the rumpled copy of the

mexico

2008-08-18T21:19:00.008-04:00

If I could just spend more time on airplanes, I would get lots of writing done. What is it about me and planes… being forced to sit still for long stretches of time? Probably. Far below is the country I was bemoaning returning to just a few short hours ago, while sipping cool beverages on a tranquil Mexican beach. I had been contemplating writing my resignation letter for several days as well,

signposts

2008-07-17T22:29:00.007-04:00

It’s Thursday again. This morning I had to “endure,” as I do every week, the lone stupid segment on NPR Morning Edition – some lame three-minute local production called Star Watch. I mean, who really cares about black holes and life on Mars when wars and famine and disease are plaguing us on this planet, right now? Anyway, sorry for the grumpy rant. But I guess today, amid switching off the

impact

2008-07-02T10:28:00.002-04:00

I saw this for the first time a few days ago, and since I haven't been able to write in awhile, I figured why not post something that really inspired and challenged me... hope you're motivated as well.

marathon

2008-05-08T12:58:00.020-04:00

From travels early last month to the busy-ness when I returned, hopefully, after reading this you'll understand why it’s taken me until now to write… Settle in, it's a long one. April 25th was World Malaria Day. If you by chance remember, it was this time last year that I’d just started my current job and by the second week was headed to an event at the White House, with a cute suit but no

spring

2008-04-02T06:00:00.006-04:00

Cold gray skies drizzled rain as I left DC today, just when I thought springtime was coming. Now, I find myself in the back of cramped flight with a French kid behind me kicking my seat. He’s part of what looks (and sounds) like a large high school tour group that I somehow ended up sitting in the middle of. And did I mention that someone nearby has gas? Jeez. Anyway, as I finally find my

bliss

2008-02-12T01:53:00.000-05:00

About two weeks ago now, Sharm and I went to hear the author of the Geography of Bliss read at a quaint local bookstore. Turns out, he’s from the Baltimore area, and after years of traveling the world as an international correspondent for NPR, he set out on a different kind of quest – to find the world’s happiest places. He read mesmerizing passages about Bhutan and Iceland and explained how

yes

2008-02-04T21:37:00.000-05:00

Yes we can. Whoever you may be supporting, this should leave you inspired... and proud, so proud, of this great country.Explaining his inspiration for the song, Will.I.Am wrote in an accompanying blog post on the site that he was in a recording studio watching one of the presidential debates and feeling torn between candidates when the idea struck him. Lacking a clear choice, as he suspected many

hopeful

2008-01-16T06:11:00.000-05:00

I started scribbling my first 2008 blog entry well over a week ago, but like most things, it’s somehow taken me a disproportionate amount of time (and at least three half-written drafts) to find a few stolen moments to actually sort of finish something. Where have I hidden myself away, you may ask? Why, on an airplane, of course! It’s not another African adventure, just a quick trip to

detours

2007-11-04T18:44:00.000-05:00

A three-quarter moon glowed orange and hovered low over the horizon as the plane touched down in Casablanca. Hours earlier I had at last ended an unexpected five-day stay in Paris, another of the world’s beautiful, intriguing cities. But circumstances as they were, I far from relished my time in either. I left the States last Wednesday, headed to Bamako, Mali, for an international meeting of

uganda

2007-09-29T11:32:00.001-04:00

The flight was almost two hours late and no one seemed to notice. I stood in the hot, baking sun of a northern Ugandan afternoon, behind my sunglasses my eyes rested closed while my arms and face soaked up the surprisingly comforting rays. The fatigue of almost three weeks of travel was catching up with me and I honestly couldn’t get out of there soon enough. But at the local airstrip (not an

tanzania

2007-09-18T13:09:00.001-04:00

Ok, so I have about a two hour flight ahead of me from the capital of Tanzania (Dar es Salaam) to the international airport in Uganda (Entebbe, though Kampala is the capital), and surely in that time I can spill something onto paper about the last nine days before I embark onto another phase of this journey, promptly forgetting all I’ve seen and done here. Tanzania’s in eastern, southern Africa (

ethiopia

2007-08-14T11:29:00.000-04:00

I just spent 12 days in 1999. No, I’m not time traveling now, or having delusional episodes – but it’s still 1999 in Ethiopia, according to their national calendar, the result of a centuries old squabble with the Catholic church. So, I just arrived home to Baltimore from almost two weeks spent amid the throes of preparation for another new millennium, which dawns on September 12th. Aside from

geneve

2007-05-14T22:18:00.000-04:00

Or at least that’s how they say it there – the French pronunciation of “Geneva,” which is where I was when I began writing yesterday. The new job has already taken me overseas, here on week three of work! I spent five days in Switzerland for meetings and arrived last night in Nairobi, Kenya, for more meetings and project site visits. Next, we’ll head to Lusaka, Zambia, for a conference and some

surreal

2007-04-25T23:21:00.000-04:00

If you had told me just over a month ago that I would be moving to Baltimore and working at Johns Hopkins, I wouldn’t have believed you. If you had told me even a few days ago that I would be having lunch at the White House and going to a Rose Garden ceremony, I definitely wouldn’t have believed you. But, as I’ve learned again recently, when things “fall into place,” they can do so rather

yesterday

2007-04-17T21:10:00.000-04:00

Among other things, I may always remember yesterday as the day I started my new job, which I'll write about some other time. Thousands of others, though, will remember it as the day their lives were changed forever by the terrible, tragic events at Virginia Tech.A few moments ago as I made a donation to an organization focused solely on stopping gun violence in our country, it occurred to me that

purpose

2007-03-09T14:43:00.000-05:00

“Ask God for wisdom about why He’s placed you where you are right now. Watch for what He reveals to you...”I just read this in an article online about people who were struggling with the apparent futility of their jobs. As I read, I was hearing the recent refrain in my mind, so how does this apply to me? I’m not working right now... Perhaps, yes, I’ve developed a bit of a complex about my

milestones

2006-10-11T06:06:00.000-04:00

it's been a week of transitions... leaving behind a place that had become a Home. people that have become Family. handing over responsibilities i'd carved within our programs to my Replacement. having another Birthday. reaching two countries i've never been to before on an amazing travel Adventure... as you may can imagine, my head and heart are still spinning from it all, and i imagine it will

cows

2006-09-25T03:18:00.000-04:00

We had a staff meeting a few days ago where we spent about fifteen minutes discussing how to buy a cow in Aceh. “Exactly how much does a cow cost? Where exactly does one go shopping for a cow? Will one fit in the back of a truck to transport it?” It’s Ramadan, and these are the Topics of the Times. It may have been a very Seinfeld-esque conversation for us, but the outcome will be quite

writings

2006-09-14T00:35:00.000-04:00

Just because I haven’t been blogging doesn’t mean my keyboard has been idle. It’s been a whirlwind of activity the past few weeks (as usual), and travels took me back on a familiar trail… the measles vaccination “campaign trail.” You may remember my trips to Africa a few years ago with one of our most effective and truly life-saving programs. The Measles Initiative, as it is called, has now come

adaptation

2006-08-15T10:49:00.000-04:00

It’s been awhile since I’ve written, and though it’s always a cathartic process that makes me feel like I’m instantaneously catching up with everyone whose emails I haven’t answered yet, sometimes I think I avoid it. Yes, I’m “very busy” with other things pulling me this way and that (namely, work), but I guess I know that though my environment may be somewhat exotic, my days are often incredibly

inhumanity

2006-08-03T06:51:00.000-04:00

As world stands idly by, this voice from another writer at a “sister society” has lingered with me all week. Amid the horror unfolding daily, may we not forget the hundreds of thousands in need, and the untold courage of those trying to help them…Red Cross volunteers in Lebanon: from dusk to dawn - a journey of misery by Ayad el-Mounzer, Lebanese Red Cross Since hostilities began in Lebanon, some

awake

2006-07-21T09:25:00.000-04:00

Perhaps it’s the barrage of recent earthquakes one island away and the distant reality of another tsunami that are keeping me awake. Perhaps its prayers unsaid, phone calls unmade, emails unanswered, work unfinished, suitcases un-unpacked, or the supposedly decaffeinated cups of chai tea that I gulped down during a late dinner that have me wide-eyed at 1:30 in the morning on a school night. But

batty

2006-07-03T04:15:00.000-04:00

A few months ago I discovered Alanis Morisette’s remake of Seal’s early nineties hit “Crazy,” and it's become my anthem. While dancing around my room, between breaks from the new Dixie Chicks cd, or through headphones amid our noisy, chaotic office, the ingenious chorus line “We’re never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy” always strikes a chord of comfort during times of fatigue and

earthquake

2006-06-07T03:53:00.000-04:00

i just sat down to try to do work stuff, and this is what came out instead...The landscape was brick red. House after house, building after building – leveled. I picked up a fragment of broken brick in my hand and it crumbled like sand. Dust. Just like the houses did when the earth shook violently. The walls of feeble brick and shoddy mortar caved almost instantly; the rooftops, also red in the

deployment

2006-05-27T22:37:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know we are all safe here in Banda after the terrible earthquake Saturday morning. The quake occurred on the island of Java, and I'm on Sumatra island, so we didn't even feel a thing. The latest update is that I will be traveling tonight and likely on site tomorrow. Please keep me, all of our team, and especially the people of the region in your prayers.More info

halfway

2006-04-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

Just a few days ago marked six months since I arrived in Indonesia. It’s a milestone of sorts among my colleagues here, but I wrestled with mixed emotions of celebration versus sadness throughout the day, and I guess to some degree always do. Sure, it may seem interesting and exotic to live abroad, and inspirational to be a part of endeavors like these – and it truly is. But (there is always a

india.3

2006-04-02T04:35:00.000-04:00

And so we made it. The haggard and worn bus travelers bumped back into Delhi and caught the easy two-hour flight down to Mumbai, or Bombay, which we learned it’s still perfectly acceptable to call it. The mountains had been spectacular, but we were ready for some rest and pampering to wind up our adventure. And oh, did we go to the right place…The Intercontinental Hotel was situated along Marine

india.2

2006-03-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

So, there we were, in the last two seats on the very back row of a seemingly normal bus. The sun was setting as we inched northward out of Delhi in late rush hour traffic, and a cool breeze signaled that the heat of the day had finally abated. It seemed all the ingredients for a pleasant ride were in place.After awhile, though, our speed picked up, and pavement gave way to very rough “pavement” …

india.1

2006-03-07T08:08:00.000-05:00

I’ve only been back from India a few days, but I’m already reflecting much more on the revelations of the journey than the (dare I say) “touristy” details. The Taj Mahal was breath-taking; the Himalayas, pristine; Mumbai, fantastically cosmopolitan; the food, divine. But, as with many things in life, it was the experience of the journey – the people, the sounds, the tenacious spirituality, the

valentines

2006-02-16T01:08:00.000-05:00

I just left Banda Aceh for the fourth time in over four months of forever. It’s my first time traveling alone since journeying here and I’d almost forgotten the idyllic solitude of solo travel. And being able to sit by the window. As the familiar landscape below faded into a tangle of evening clouds, I felt something unfamiliar in all of my comings and goings from Aceh … relief. Yes, it’s true –

afterglow

2006-02-02T09:24:00.001-05:00

A few years ago, while taking photos amid the husky gray light of wildfires in California, my wise and dear friend Gene told me about the afterglow… it’s the clandestine light cast after the setting sun sinks below the horizon. Many photographers make the mistake of capturing the sunset, and walking away. But the veterans know if you wait just a few minutes longer, the sky erupts again, with

irma

2006-01-17T09:13:00.000-05:00

It’s was just after 7:00 a.m. this morning, and I was lying in bed waiting to hit snooze again on my phone alarm, when all of a sudden my door flung open. It was our doe-eyed, adorable housekeeper – Irma. “Bone-y, Bone-y,” she squealed in a voice entirely too early for me, pre-coffee. “Yes, Irma?”“Today. Irma (she points at herself every time she says her name). Birthday. Irma. Birthday. Today.”

quiet

2006-01-13T03:27:00.000-05:00

No news is good news, right? I hope so, because it’s eerily quiet around here. I’m “between projects” so to speak, or really, am just trying to figure out what I’m going to launch into next. I have a lot of ideas, so just pray that I have direction and drive for what to avidly pursue. Only a few exciting notes to share at the moment, though…The clips from the tsunami anniversary coverage that I

2006

2006-01-04T05:49:00.000-05:00

Selamat… new year! Happy new year, that is! And now you can see why my first new year’s resolution is to learn more Indonesian. I know “thank you” and “good morning” and other pleasantries, but making an honest attempt to study the language of the people my life is now immersed in, I have failed incredibly to do so. Translators at my every side are a good excuse, as is the fact that I’ve been “

christmastime

2005-12-29T02:56:00.000-05:00

I should probably be working. But as I sit at my desk and watch as the clock inches within an hour of our departure to the airport, I must confess that I have already launched into holiday mode. After non-stop work for what at times seemed like forever, I feel like I’m long overdue for a bit of a vacation, complete with great food, endless shopping and a proper venue for a New Year’s celebration.

prufrock

2005-12-09T12:13:00.000-05:00

Let us go then, you and I,When the evening is spread out against the skyLike a patient etherized upon a table...I was in a frenzy. It was only a few minutes after 8:00 yesterday morning and somehow my day had already launched into chaos mode. After a late night, I had risen early to finish several tasks before hopping on the boat for Pulo Aceh with some teammates, British colleagues, and media

life

2005-11-20T09:03:00.000-05:00

Since tales of island hopping isn’t disappointing to you, my loved ones, I’ll faithfully continue to share my “sufferings” here in the other hemisphere, including the recently-schemed Thanksgiving excursion. But more on exploring this nation of 10,000 islands later… It’s been another crazy week, actually, the busiest so far. I hit a point somewhere mid-week on about hour 12 of the work day

snorkeling

2005-11-13T10:48:00.000-05:00

It’s been awhile since I’ve written, so please accept my apologies for the delay in updates! Moving into the new house this week and trying this weekend to get settled, allowed for no rest for the weary after a long, long week in the office.The island trip last weekend was fantastic and relaxing. I learned on the ferry ride there that the names of my destination that I had shared were wrong – the

lobster

2005-11-01T22:29:00.000-05:00

We set sail across the midnight blue waters of the Indian Ocean toward Pulo Aceh just as the noonday sun reached its pinnacle. It was a beautiful clear day, and I had worn short sleeves just for such a semi-tanning opportunity (women here wear long sleeves only, a cultural imperative I try to abide by). Since I can’t estimate feet very well, I’ll just say our wood-frame boat was longer than a ski

travel

2005-10-26T23:38:00.000-04:00

We just had a staff meeting about bird flu. And it seems that despite the fact that chicken is one of the only things I’ve been eating since I got here, unless I take a job on a chicken farm, I’m more likely to die of stress associated with the media frenzy around the disease than the disease itself. Phew! However, they will be offering traditional flu-shots to all of us which is said to lessen

working

2005-10-20T11:29:00.000-04:00

I just turned off the lone book-on-cd that I downloaded to my mp3 player before leaving the States. I’m rationing it to myself, only a few tracks each night, to fill the quiet space in my room with a now-familiar voice. Time is passing quickly – I can’t believe the week is drawing to a close. It’s been a good one, and busy one. I wrote a lot, edited stuff, had lots of meetings and this and that.

nighttime

2005-10-14T10:52:00.000-04:00

I just walked out onto our second floor balcony, and two cows were soundly sleeping in the middle of the dusty street below. Evening prayer chants echoed from distant mosques, competing with the sounds of the one visible over my neighbors’ rooftops. It’s Friday, the Muslim holy day, and it’s the month of Ramadan, the holiest of times, so there is an air of serenity in the city that’s almost

arriving

2005-10-11T10:23:00.000-04:00

After rising at 3:30 a.m. to catch the first of two flights, I made it to Banda Aceh yesterday morning a bit before noon. Still haven’t seen much of the town other than our house and the office, which are both across town from where the tsunami hit. Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll be able to get some of the local staff to take me out so I can see the progress there.Things are going well. The house I’m

beginning

2005-10-08T06:32:00.000-04:00

Jakarta… how long have I been here? It could be a two weeks, or two days… I’m thinking the latter, but am not quite sure since my days and nights are still pretty turned around. Indonesia’s 11 hours ahead to the East Coast, and my 2+ day trek here left blurry-eyed, but still thoroughly excited. Yesterday was my first full day, and I spent most of it sitting a taxi getting to and from the