The African journey begins.

As I write I'm in Atlanta's colossal airport awaiting the next leg of the journey to Liberia. I'm flying Delta, and they have not earned any goodwill with me today. First, I learned just today that my "direct" flight to Liberia involves a stop in Accra, Ghana. That includes a 2 hour layover, reboarding, and 703 more air miles back west to Monrovia. It really wasn't that I missed the fine print - there just was no fine print.

Then there's the baggage.

Delta allows you two free bags on international flights. So I get to the gate at check-in this morning with one bag that weighed 59 pounds - nine over the limit. The bag was filled mostly with books that I am taking for the workshop I'm conducting, not extra shoes, my darlings. I was told I would have to pay a $75 over-weight fee, even though I was only taking one bag. The logic of this eluded me as I stood their fuming. I argued my cause with a service manager but was met with a stern inflexibility and a disposition that I could've sworn was just a tad shy of "gleeful."

"It's a new fee, and I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do about it."

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is funding the trip, so it wouldn't really be money out of my pocket but I was thoroughly incensed. My money or no, it was just wrong.

So, I stepped away from the counter, looked down the terminal and there it was, a shimmering well-placed oasis of overpriced airport accoutrements that included: a luggage section. $24.99 later, I was the owner of one very over-priced duffle, into which I transferred all the heavy books. I then walked back up the counter and checked my two free bags to Monrovia - grinning like the cat that ate the canary. Watcha think about that, Delta?

If you're interested in the project in Africa, check back here often.