I feel as though there isn’t a time I can remember that I have not been preparing for this trip. Since the end of finals week, which was December 14th for me, I have spent a little time each day getting ready. Some call that OCD, but it’s made packing and preparing much less stressful. 
My least favorite part has probably been the vaccines. Yellow fever gave me…wait for it…a horrible fever. 103-104 at times, but thankfully I had my boyfriend at the time to dote on me 🙂
The typhoid vaccine is not much better. I chose the pill-form so there are a total of 4 pills that I take every other day. Today, after taking the 3rd pill, has proven to have the worst side-effects to date. Not fun times.
I’ll be poppin’ malaria pills like tic-tacs once I get to Kenya, so I hope those don’t have any nasty side effects.
Preparing for a trip like this takes a lot more thought and planning than most. I’ll have limited access to internet, and very limited access to any modern conveniences. That part I’m actually looking forward to! Getting away from society for a while is going to be nice. The program I’m going through, SFS, has an intense schedule, but every activity sounds exciting to me! From field lectures to safaris to volunteering, I’m beyond excited. From Lake Erie to Central Africa.
Being a world traveler is something that I would really like to be. I hope that this trip is going to be the kick in the pants that I need to start my big girl life. Since I was little I haven’t been like ‘most girls.’ Trust me, I realize that 99% of girls say, “I’m not like most girls!” But, trust me, I was really different. From doing math problems on the board at recess in first grade, to spending afternoons saving earthworms from drying out on sidewalks after a rainstorm.
Special thanks to my friends for always being there for me!
From my rearview to my windshield. It’s good to look back, as long as you continue to move forward!
So, unlike most abroad experiences, mine is going to be spent in a ‘banda’ in the middle of no where. And I couldn’t be happier about that.
Location: Erie, Pennsylvania
