Rapidly approaching...

There's just one week left until I head to Ann Arbor for our pre-travel training dates! I can hardly believe that it's almost time for me to pack up and ship off to Africa, but I am most certainly not complaining. I've been buying so many things lately in preparation-- a beautiful leather journal, some long printed skirts, durable sandals ("very utilitarian," my mom likes to say), even some earplugs, which our leaders recommended as protection against the unfamiliar noises that have the tendency to prevent American travelers from getting much sleep in Kenya. As these material items fill up my room, I become more and more ready to embark on this adventure. Not simply because the clutter is starting to get to me, but because I often find myself staring at my "Africa pile" and daydreaming about the memories that will soon be associated with everything in it. I am SO ready to create real memories instead of relying on the images in my head.

Here's a picture of my journal! Please excuse the poor webcam image quality-- I just wanted to test out the photo features on this blog. In any case, I can't wait to break out my pen and start filling those pages!

More pre-travel thoughts

Over the past few days, I've had a lot of time to prepare for and contemplate the personal project I'm planning to tackle in Kenya. Our leaders have advised each of us to develop some sort of lesson plan that we can share with the Kenyan students, and I've chosen photography. I will bring several digital cameras and a photo printer with me to Africa-- two of our group leaders have graciously offered to fund my idea. Now, I'm not especially gifted in the photography realm, nor do I consider myself an expert in the field, but it is an activity that I enjoy. I also think it's worth sharing, not to mention the fact that it is much more teachable and concrete than some of my other hobbies, like making music video parodies or impersonating celebrities (haha). The most exciting part of my photography plan, however, is the fact that I will be exposing these young students to a craft with which they have very little to no experience. I was recently informed that many of the students I'll be working with have never had a photo of themselves to bring home-- it took me a while to wrap my head around this reality. Having grown up in a world where annual class pictures were an absolute given, it was difficult to imagine never having grasped a tangible image of myself. Acknowledging and embracing these types of cultural differences will be vital to my experiences in Africa. While I consider myself an extremely open-minded, "culturally aware" individual, I'm also allowing myself to be molded by whatever might come my way overseas, whether it's something scary, beautiful, confusing, unfamiliar, or some fantastic combination of these.

Hello!

I'm not sure exactly what this pre-departure blog entry should entail, but I suppose I'll just give a brief overview of the feelings I'm experiencing as I prepare for my month-long journey to Africa. My departure date is only a few short weeks away now, and that in itself is spurring some anxiety. I feel unprepared-- not necessarily on an emotional level, but in terms of packing, travel plans, and lesson plans for the Kenyan students. I know things will fall into place (they usually do), but that doesn't erase the fact that this trip is a BIG DEAL for me, my family, and the rest of the group I'll be traveling with. That being said, my excitement level is reaching new peaks as of late. I find myself daydreaming about the work I'll be doing in Kenya and the marvelous new experiences I'll be presented with in both Kenya and Rwanda. This is really happening to me, and it is nothing short of mind-blowing to think that within less than a month, I'll be waking up in a place I've only ever seen through the eyes of a camera lens or on a television screen. These feelings are comparable to very little, with the possible exception of the emotions I experienced before I left for Europe several years ago. Even then, my trip was self-centered-- a sightseeing journey filled with luxury and pre-planned activities. Africa is an entirely separate realm of exploration, service, and unforeseen challenges. Nervousness aside, this is an experience I am ready to embrace without looking back.