So - you're traveling to Africa to adopt. You're not sure if the weight of a laptop is worth bringing it (in your carry-on, of course). Let me give you ten good reasons to bring one!

1. Unlimited music options (based on what you copy to your hard drive, anyway). I enjoy music and like to have it in the background, so this is a very easy way to have the music without having to bring each CD separately.

2. Movie viewing pleasure – watch as many as you want! The DVD's are lighter than books, anyway.

3. Typing at your leisure – late at night, early in the morning, or in spurts. One of the key advantages, I think.

4. Not losing what you are typing when the connection is broken. Another key advantage! Has that ever happened to you? It sure has to me and I am not a happy camper when it does. This way, if the connection gets broken, just go back to the flash drive. Happy day!

5. Using a flash drive for easy transfer of documents and pictures at the Internet cafe. All your documents, letters and pictures readily available for relatively quick sending.

6. Putting pics from the digital camera right on the computer. You can keep them on your memory card for extra insurance, or, dump the whole thing if your memory card gets full. It's OK – they're all right there on the computer.

7. Easy re-sizing of those pics for email and blog posting. Most folks like to take high quality digital pictures, but those same pictures are too big to email and way too big to post on a blog. Get a program like “Polyview” or any other program designed to resize and you're good to go!

8. Having games to entertain you when you are bored – again. I'm not a computer gamer, but I can play Solitaire or Bejeweled with the best of them. There are times when the mind-numbingness is appealing.

9. Getting work done that you haven't had time for at home – journaling, blogging ahead, etc. Just don't bring a year's worth of work when you are only going to be gone for two weeks!

10. Looking at pictures from home when you are missing your family. Bring along family photos, right on your laptop. You can also show your new child the latests pics from home.