Reporter's Notebook: Covering Clinton in Africa

The trip begins, but the press corps has already bonded ... without me.

from the July 20, 2007 edition

Today is the first day of Bill Clinton's whirlwind six-day trip to Africa. He is here to visit some of his foundation's projects, to wish his good friend Nelson Mandela a happy birthday, and, well, to do a little adventuring.

While waiting for him to arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa, yesterday, I was hanging out with Mr. Mandela on his 89th birthday and listening to Peter Gabriel singing a capella. Not too shabby.

SHAKE: President Clinton shakes hands with South Africa’s City Year volunteers at a school in Johannesburg.

Danna Harman

But the thing is, because I didn't travel with Mr. Clinton's entourage and the rest of the journalists from the US, I realized today that I missed some serious bonding on the 17-hour plane ride over to Africa. I felt that same pang of panic that attacked me way back when I missed freshman week at college.

"Who are you?" a young aide wanted to know when I met up with the Clinton team this morning at their hotel. "Are you with us?" a fancy lady in very high heels queried. "Oh no, no! I'm just a reporter," I said, smiling meekly at everyone as I introduced myself.

The 42nd president of the United States does not travel light.

On this journey, he is moving around with two private planes and about 40 people: A dozen journalists, a handful of aides, and a group of friends and supporters who, at an auction at Clinton's 60th birthday last year, placed winning bids on joining the trip.

The first thing we do – the journalists, the aides, and the bidders, aka the donors, alike – is get on buses and head to the Nelson Mandela Foundation to hear Clinton give a speech. Someone asks to sit next to me on the bus.

Whew. I relax, feeling welcomed into the group. I settle back and look out the window and think about the days to come.

It's all just beginning.