Finally Reality!

A lot has happened in the last few weeks and tomorrow is finally the day I leave for South Africa. The nerves are beginning to set in. I'm becoming very anxious about how I'm going to pass the time on our 22 hour flight as well as how I'm going to overcome the jet lag! I'm also really nervous because I still haven't been able to accept the fact that I'll be in South Africa for three weeks. I'm worried that I'm not in the right state of mind and that arriving in Cape Town will be something I'm not quite prepared for. But I suppose I can prepare during the flight!

I'm also very excited for many things. I can't wait for the site seeing such as, going to Robben Island, visiting museums, shops, and beaches with penguins, and, of course, going on a safari! I can't wait to experience a new culture that I never thought I'd have the opportunity to experience! I'm most excited to meet my host family, a grandmother and her 14 year old granddaughter. I can't wait to develop relationships with these two people and I have a feeling that I will learn the most from them during my stay in South Africa. When I tell people that we will be staying in a township for a week, their reactions are most often worry and shock. Many people have this perception that townships are a very unsafe and unhealthy place to live, but I look forward to finding out for myself what the environment of townships are truly like.

Something I've been thinking about a lot this past week is how I'm going to integrate what I learn and the experiences I have into my life when I come back to the US. I don't want to forget about the people I meet and the things I learn during my short time in Cape Town. How will I use the things I learn to make myself a better person and to better understand my global identity? I hope that all of this will make more sense to me within the next few weeks or when I return. Well, the next time I'll be blogging will be when I'm in Cape Town! I hope the flight goes smoothly and I can't wait for what's ahead of me!

Thanks for blogging,
Brittany