Exactly two weeks remain until my trip to Port Elizabeth, South Africa. I wanted to create this blog so that I can document and share the whole experience from start to finish, and have something to look back on when I return. I hope it helps to inform everyone at home of what I'm doing and learning, and please, if you like, leave comments/send emails in addition to reading!
I'm both nervous and excited.. but at this point, mostly excited. I expect that when it's time to move all of my stuff into my apartment, orientation begins, and classes start, I'll be feeling a bit more anxious than I am right now. (Reality usually doesn't hit me until after it should have.) Right now, all I'm thinking about is the exciting journey ahead, and spending the first week there with my parents. It's going to be an adventure for all of us, and I'm very happy that they will also witness first-hand the country I'll be spending the next 5 months in.
Over the next few months, I'm looking forward to a number of things: first and foremost, gaining a strong sense of independence, as I will be living in an apartment for the first time, and spending all of my time with people with whom I'll be able to form new relationships. This experience will undoubtedly test my confidence and put me in situations where I'll learn about myself more than I ever have. Secondly, I want to conduct a bit of anthropological work when I'm there. I want to experience and gather information about as many aspects of the culture as possible - the history, languages, politics, religions, food, sports, music, entertainment, wildlife, and so on. I'm completely expecting to be culture shocked, but I'm also ready to learn as much as I can about where I am by the end of the trip. Lastly, well, I guess I'm just looking forward to what I don't know! One of the reasons I am most excited about this trip is that I have absolutely no idea what to expect, how life is going to change, and what's going to come of it. All that I have right now are possibilities, and I love it!
