Hello all! For anyone who might not know, I am going on an adventure to South Africa this winter break, and I this is the first entry in my blog. I'm leaving Monday morning, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little scared. I have never been out of the country before, and I have no idea what to expect from this trip. I have been trying to prepare- I've done research on Cape Town and South Africa, but I don't think reading articles on the internet can do it justice. So I think I'm just going to wing it, and keep my mind open to all new experiences. I know that we will have plenty of fun on this trip, but that we are going there to learn, and some of the experiences will be deep and heavy. My goal for myself is to be able to take in the range of experiences and appreciate them all for what they are. I want to embrace this trip, try new things, and live outside of my box for a few weeks.
I can honestly say that when I thought of myself studying abroad, I never pictured myself in Africa. I always assumed that when I finally went on a trip outside of the United States I would end up in Europe somewhere. But I like the idea of going someplace I never thought I would. I had never really given a thought to South Africa before, but now that I have learned a bit more about the country, I am so glad that I went a little outside my comfort zone and decided to go on this trip. I am excited beyond words to visit this country and learn about such a vibrant and interesting place. I am nervous, excited, and completely ready to jump into my three weeks in Cape Town, South Africa!
For any family and friends who want to follow along with my trip, this blog is the way to do it. I would like to say that my blog entries will all be witty and charming, but knowing me they will probably be a little awkward with poor spelling. Once I actually get to South Africa, I will be posting pictures to go along with the blog, so watch for those (just a heads up, when we visit the beach with the penguins the blog will probably just be pictures with a few exclamation marks). Comments are definitely appreciated, especially if they are sarcastic and funny, as I know my friends and family are. I am so excited to go on this trip, and I look forward to sharing it with my friends and family through this blog.
