Final Thoughts

My journey home began at 10am on a Saturday May 5th in Cape Town. Of course, the weather was beautiful the day we were leaving, and you could even see the top of  Table Mountain, which was tantalizing. We had been unable to climb it the day before because the clouds cover, I mean "Tablecloth," was too heavy. We checked our bags successfully, and somehow everyone managed to stay under the weight limit which was remarkable. After a short wait, we hopped back to Jo'burg, a two hour flight. Then the fun really started. After another lay-over, we boarded our enormous jet back to the US via Dakar, Senegal. I was extremely lucky to have an aisle seat in the middle section with no one sitting next to me! After 9 hours, we landed in Senegal to let off some of the passengers and board others. After a tedious two hour wait on the tarmac, that was punctuated by events like cabin sanitation spray downs and random security checks, we were up in the air again. This time, there were only two of us in in the four seater middle section, so I actually got to lie down a bit which was a welcome change of positions. Though it was a 19 hour flight, it was made bearable because 13 of us CGE students were seated in the same two rows, so we got to spend a few more hours together. Additionally, there were tons of recently released seatback movies to watch, so we were able to catch up on four months of American pop culture all at once! We landed at Washington-Dulles at 630am East Coast time. After going through customs, and assuring the agent that I did not bring back biltong (beef jerky) or "leather products with bits of fur attached," I was out into the fresh air. After enjoying the morning sun, I rechecked my bag and headed back to the airport. I ran into a bit of trouble at security when they opened up my duffle with souvenirs and took out my can of "Shakalaka spicy vegetables." They said there was too much water content to carry it on, but I could rush back and see if I could still put it in the bag I was checking. I tried this, but alas, my bag had already been taken to another terminal. So, I offered it to the agent helping me, who took it with a huge smile. If I couldn't enjoy it, at least someone else could. After a 6 hour layover and a 6 hour flight to the West Coast, I landed in Seattle and got picked up by two of my friends who were very sympathetic of my somewhat delirious state. I had been awake for about 45 hours and had been traveling for 38.

     Being at school for that first week back was really nice. The weather was warm, high seventies and low 80s which was a good way to adjust. And several of my friends had just returned from spending 9 months in Asia, so we were able to go through culture shock together.

   

Now, it's been 6 weeks since my return to the US. In some ways, it feels just yesterday I was parting ways with my fellow CGE students, but in other ways it feels like my time in Africa was a far away dream. It's amazing, and somewhat frustrating, how easy it was to adjust back to my life here in the states. Aside from looking the wrong way when crossing the street, being shocked by speedy internet, and general nostalgia, I did not experience as much "culture shock" as I thought I would. However, I find memories of Namibia popping into my thoughts many times a day, and I get so much joy by sharing pictures and memories with family and friends.

 

Many people told me that studying abroad would change me. I'd like to think that it gave me a set of tools for my future. I was put in situations that challenged my beliefs, my body, and my comfort level. As a result, I would say that I have gained confidence, independence, and assertiveness. I saw some of the most pure and untainted natural beauty, and that has given me a greater appreciation for the world's vastness and for my relatively small role in a very large place. I interacted with people who lived in extreme poverty, and from that I learned the importance of hope and strong community support and family bonds. I met people from around the world who traveled passionately and without an agenda, igniting an interest to continue exploring and exposing myself to new environments.

 

This summer, I am continuing to pursue my interest in all things international, by being an International Trade intern for Business Oregon, a state agency promoting business development. In the past few weeks, I have had the chance to attend meetings with my supervisors, and have been given a variety of challenging projects to work on. After several months focused on development, it is an interesting change to throw myself into the business world.

 

A big thank you to all who followed my blog throughout my semester abroad. I truely appreciate all of your support and enthusiasm.

Final Week: Cape Town!

    We landed in Cape Town when it was dark, but we could already tell that we were going to be experiencing a much different environment than we had been for the past 4 months. For starters, it was downright cold! After living in Nambia's dry desert climate, Cape Town's wet, windy ocean breeze chilled us straight to the bones, and continued to do that for the entire week. I wore, on average, two sweaters and a raincoat everywhere I went... definitely looking as unfashionable as possible in a very cosmopolitan and style-conscious city!  Another difference was the sheer number of people, cars, and things surrounding us. Cape Town and the surrounding area has a population of 3.5 million, while the entire country of Namibia hovers at about 2 million.
   Our guest house was in the "city bowl," which is the area in between the giant and majestic Table Mountain, and the ocean. We were about two blocks away from Long Street, the main drag with tons of restaurants, bars, and backpacker's lodges. For the course of the week, we toured with the program most days, but we were also given ample time to explore on our own and slowly adjust to a different pace of life, a pace more similar to our cities back home in the states.
   A few highlights of the week included: visiting Robben Island, which is where political prisoners such as Nelson Mandela were housed during apartheid, a trip to Cape Point to see the farthest most south-west tip of the African continent and where the Atlantic and Indian oceans converge, wine-tasting in the fertile Cape winelands, and a brief visit to a penguin colony.
   Another fascinating aspect of the week was learning about the "Cape Coloured" identity. When the area was just a colony, the Dutch East India company imported slave labor from the West and East coasts of Africa, as well as Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka,  Malaysia and other South East Asian countries. After generations of intermarriage and intercultural blending, the result is the "coloured population." During apartheid, they were given slightly more preferential treatment than the black population, but were second class citizens to whites. In the 1970s, the apartheid government razed the neighborhood of "District 6," which was home to working class coloured people, because it was located in the desirable real estate of the city bowl. They moved the displaced population to an area called Manenberg, which was little more than a swamp land on the other side of Table Mountain. The effects of this move caused strain on families. Parents had a longer commute into the city for work and could not keep as close an eye on their children, and children had no safe places to hang out and play and began creating gangs and turning to drugs. We visited an organization that is working to reverse some of the problems facing the community by improving youth employment. While this provides hope for the future, the fact remains that people are still living in squalid conditions and unsafe neighborhoods, and that the poorest demographics are still largely separated by race, despite the end of legal sanctions enforcing racial segregation.
     A fun discovery for me was the Eastern Food Bazaar, located on a side ally near Long Street. Essentially, it is a large food court specializing in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine at rock bottom prices. You order at a central cashier stand, and then wait at the various counters for your food to be prepared. I particularly enjoyed masala dosas, which had been recommended to me by a friend, as well as a medley of curries. Mango lhassies and masala tea were a perfect way to cool down my mouth in between spicy bites. Needless to say, I think I visited this place at least three times during my week in Cape Town.
    Overall, Cape Town was an interesting change from our lifestyle in Namibia. Lush parks, a beautiful harbor, fancy restaurants, and an abundance of white people, made us feel like we were perhaps in Montreal or Vancouver, BC. It was also a strange time of feeling as if we were in limbo. We had already had an emotional goodbye to Namibia, and we were carting around all of our possessions and living out of our suitcases. It definitely felt like a time of transition.

Table Mountain from the Waterfront

Friends at Cape Point

The Point itself

Penguins!

The colorful Bo-Kaap neighborhood

    On May 5th, we headed to the airport and hopped on a place to Jo'burg. I'll explain my crazy travels back to America in the next post...

The end of an era

     The last few weeks in Windhoek were spent working on our final projects, trying bargain for souvenirs, and eating out at restaurants we had always wanted to go to.  Our integrative projects were designed to incorporate concepts we had learned in all of our classes by picking a topic and analyzing it from different "lenses," or class subjects. I chose to focus my research on international trade in Namibia, and specifically the role of the Namibian Ports Authority in Walvis Bay. In February, we visited Namport, and I was still very fascinated about the role and strategic location of this port in attracting investment into the country. I discussed the history of the port tracing its roots all the way back to when the Dutch East India Company used it as a small stop off on the way down to South Africa. I also talked about the political diplomacy issues surrounding the port. When Namibia gained its independence from South Africa in 1990, South Africa made a concession that they still owned the Port of Walvis Bay, making trade much more profitable for them and much more harmful for Namibia. Since 1994, Namibia has owned the Port and is capitalizing on its location: companies use the port to import products to Zambia, Zimbabwe, the DRC, and Angola, as well as parts of South Africa. I also talked about future development plans-- the port's work with the Namibian universities to build capacity and future leaders, as well as an increase in trade with emerging strong economies such as Brazil, China, and India. All of us presented our projects to all of the staff and a few guests at a fancy conference room downtown, and everyone did a wonderful job. We covered a variety of issues, from land conservancy, to gay rights, to tribalism.
   Another highlight from my last week was heading to the outskirts of Windhoek with the Young Achievers for Global Youth Day. They organized an amazing program for kids and adults living in the informal settlement of Kilimanjaro to discuss pertinent issues such as staying in school, having goals and dreams, safe sex and healthy relationships. I was so proud of my Young Achievers friends who organized such an inspiring outreach event. It was so wonderful to see Namibians helping fellow Namibians as well. Often times, outreach events are organized by NGOs that have ties with the European Union or a foreign aid organization. There was something very special about seeing local youth working to empower their peers.
   I had some very heart-felt goodbyes with my Katatura host family, my dear fellow intern friend from the Ministry, my friends from Young Achievers, other locals I had met throughout the semester, and the CGE program staff. We cleaned and packed up the whole house and headed to the airport on April 29th. The drive to the airport was nice because we drove all the way across town, giving us the chance to say goodbye to favorite shopping centers, restaurants, and old hangouts.
    Culture shock began when we entered the airport in Windhoek. When we landed there in January, I thought it was kind of a small, unimpressive place in the middle of nowhere. When I used the restroom those many months back, I even believe a roach scuttled across my foot. When we arrived this time, we were impressed by how slick and modern everything felt...there was even air-conditioning! The bathrooms felt luxurious because there was: a door that locked, a toilet that flushed, toilet paper, a sink with running water, SOAP, a mirror, and papertowels. Paradise! Usually, we found ourselves with some strange combination of those services, but never all at once!

Me and Fenny at the Ministry

                                                  Young Achievers and youth in Kilimanjaro

                                                           Integrative Project Presentation

Friends out to dinner in Namibia!

    After running around the airport trying to spend the last of our Namibian dollars, it was off to Cape Town we went.
 

Adventures in Eating

I haven't talked much about the food I have eaten in Namibia mostly because it is fairly similar to what I eat back at home, with a bit of a British influence and with less fruits and veggies because they are difficult to import. However, now that I am leaving in 7 days, I am starting to realize that I have grown accustomed to certain foods and dishes that I will miss eating back in the States. Here is a small sampling of the culinary treats I have had here:

Oshikandela: By far, the item I will miss the most, Oshikandela is marketed as "thick milk," but I think it tastes more like drinkable yogurt. It comes in a pint sized carton and there is an array of flavors such as guava, pineapple, strawberry, and sweet. I like to mix the guava flavor with orange juice and create a smoothie!

Beef Chips and Nik Naks: I have never been a chip eater but Namibia has changed me. Beef flavored chips that taste vaguely like salty bacon have turned me into a potato crunching addict--at least on long car trips. Nik Naks, are a close second, made from maize and with the cheesiness of cheetos.

Dessert Yogurt: I like this mostly for its title, but it is raspberry flavored yogurt with, surprise, chocolate sprinkles spread throughout the carton.

"Pudding": Our cooks make this dessert for us at CGE. It is comprised of sweet, cracker-like biscuits, Ultra-Mel (liquid vanilla custard from a carton), and canned fruit cocktail. The custard and cocktail makes the cookie mushy. It sounds and looks gross, but the taste and texture is delish.

Fresh Guava: Need I say more? Although they smell like stinky socks after sitting out for a while, nothing beats biting into a juicy, sugary guava.

Fat Cakes: Om nom nom nom, these bad boys are simply scrumptious. Imagine an elephant ear, but the size and shape of a large donut hole. They are crispy on the outside and doughy on the inside. Sold for about $1 Namibian dollar (13 US cents) on the roadside and in informal markets.

Rooibus Tea: Apparently it is only grown on the Eastern Cape of South Africa and is therefore the tea of choice in this area of the world. It has an earthy flavor and tastes great with or without milk and sugar.

So that's the short list, I'm sure more will come to me later on. Looking at the list, you might think that I have gained 100 pounds while I've been here, but I can assure you I have been balancing these taste treats out with salad, meat, and tons of beans and lentils!

Wish me luck these next few days as I prepare my integrative project and presentation! It is designed to look at one issue through the lens of all of our different classes. I will be talking about the role of international trade in Namibia before and after independence and specifically the role of Walvis Bay and the Namibian Ports Authority.

Trip to the South

Last weekend, CGE took us down south for a long weekend to learn about community-based natural resource management and tourism. We stayed at three different campsites for one night each. After driving about an hour out of Windhoek, the landscape changed dramatically. The lush, rolling hills were replaced by a dry, flat desert landscape. The first night, we stayed at a community run campsite that overlooked the very dried out Fish River and, in the distance, the Brukkaros Mountain. They had been given funding by the European Union in order to establish bathrooms and camping facilities. The community cooked us a delicious dinner of lamb, bread, and a variety of salads. We later found out that we were the first visitors to ever stay at their campground! It was quite an honor, and the whole experience was wonderful, with the exception of an infestation of "needle snakes," who were the size of worms that had a very poisonous bite! The next day, the community leader took us to a nearby natural hot spring and a waterfall, which was quite a treat. If only the campsite had access to better marketing materials so that more tourists could know about this hidden gem!

The second night we stayed at another, more established community run site at the base of the Brukkaros mountain. We met with the community leader who was a school teacher and the former mayor to the nearby village. He arranged for us to climb the 1800 foot mountain with several dozen of his high school students. After a BBQ dinner, some stargazing and a night of sleeping snugly in our tents as a thunderstorm rained down on us, we arose at 6am to conquer the mountain. The trail was rough at times, and definitely involved some clambering over boulders, but after a few hours we all reached the summit. It was worth it. As far as the eye could see in all directions was flat desert landscape untarnished by human settlement. After being physically challenged by the trek up, seeing the stunning view for the first time was a simultaneously refreshing and invigorating experience.

The last campsite we staying at was run by a company that owns a chain of mid-scale lodges throughout the country. Most of the managerial staff there were South African expats. Because they are a well established business, have higher quality amenities (read: reliable tap water and toilet facilities), and can afford to market themselves, they receive about 24,000 tourists a year. The two community run sites we visited were lucky to get 50 people a year. It was a very real way of learning about the challenges and competition that fledgling community run tourist attractions must endure. It was a bit depressing because I greatly preferred the first two campgrounds, they had must more natural beauty and local charm, yet so many travelers do not even know they exist. A highlight of this visit was sampling coconut flavored marshmellows, and making a delish s'more with them!

We all returned to Windhoek on Sunday, a bit smellier, but very pleased to have gotten to experience such a different and distinct part of the country. This week, we finished up our internships and are preparing our final projects. I'm sad to say we only have 10 days left in this beautiful country.

Shopping: A cultural experience?

While traveling on spring break, I had a few people tell me that by living in Windhoek, I was not experiencing "real Africa." And when I returned to Windhoek after living in the North and traveling to a few different countries, I started to internalize that sentiment as well. I started feeling like living here wasn't challenging or exciting anymore. It is true that many parts of Windhoek are well-developed and westernized and easy to live in. However, I also forgot to give myself credit for how well-adjusted I have become to the differences here. It is not just the fact that Windhoek is a "unAfrican city," (a snobby and untrue statement) it's the fact that I have been living in town for three months and have gotten used to various cultural nuances here. It took a solo trip to the mall to fully realize that.

I only had my internship for a half day today, so on my walk home from downtown I decided to do some clothes shopping. Malls are very popular in Windhoek, and on my walk home I pass by two shopping centers. I had planned this out and was looking forward to it because the malls close at 2pm on weekends and are so crowded it is unbearable. Usually only one cash register works at a given store and so even if you manage to try something on, the wait in line is easily a half an hour. Wednesday afternoon was a much more relaxed atmosphere, the only other people around were those shopping on their lunch hour, or a trickle of high school kids out for the day. I visited Mr. Price, Legit, and Jay-Jays, all South African owned stores that offer cute clothes for reasonably cheap. Since it is turning to Fall here, there were a lot of winter coats, boots, and sweaters...it actually does get chilly here! I caught myself humming along to some of the music in the store, it was mostly American music but there were a few Namibian ones thrown in that I knew the words to. While purchasing a very cute dress (for only $16 USD) I was aware that the woman standing behind me was very close, so close that she was leaning on the counter by the register as if we were buddies and she was waiting for me to finish paying so we could leave together! It reminded me that personal space bubbles are much smaller here. I have gotten cut in line a few times because I have not been standing close enough to the person ahead of me to "mark" my space. Leaving the store, like at all stores, I was asked to present my receipt to the guard and she checked my in my bag to make sure the items were accounted for. Upon entering the next store, my bag was taped up so I could not sneak any items into it. As I was walking through the mall to exit, I looked around at the other white people. Now, it is so obvious for me to spot the white Namibians from the tourists. The tourists were not dressed as well, were stopping to look at the souvenir trinket stands, or were clutching their purses. Sometimes I look like a tourist and other days I look like a local. Today, people treated me like a local because I was dressed professionally and I was by myself, not in a herd of American students. I don't clutch my purse because I rarely keep my money in there, I keep it in my shirt and then take out the amount I need when I am in the dressing room. Oftentimes people assume I am German, the newspaper sellers on the street usually start waving to the German/Afrikaans newspaper when they see me walk by.

On my walk home, I was bombarded by taxi honks...I remember our first week in Windhoek we thought they were honking at us and we were a bit horrified. We quickly realized that they honk when they see any pedestrian because it signals that their cab is available for passengers. Cabs charge by the individual seat, so it is common to share a cab with strangers who happen to be going the same way. After saying "no, thanks" to the cab drivers, I continued my walk home, past the Polytechnic University and down the hill to my house. I had missed lunch and most of it was eaten, so I had a meal of leftovers: pap (porridge made from maize meal, I think), some veggies, and "dessert yogurt" (cherry flavored with chocolate sprinkles).

Tomorrow, we go to the south for a weekend camping trip and a seminar about community based tourism and natural resource development. Should be fun!

Spring Break Pictures

Spring Break!

After our homestay, CGE went to Etosha National Park and spend a day driving around checking out the wildlife. The most exciting part was watching a pride of 11 lions stalking a flock of kudu in the morning, and then returning in the evening to see them relaxing in the last rays of the afternoon sun. Other highlights included seeing the rare black rhino and countless giraffes and zebras. After that, we traveled south to Windhoek, but my traveling companion Emily and I were let off in the town of Otjiwarongo, where we stayed with a lovely American missionary that I was introduced to via Facebook by my college friend's mother. She showed us around the town, which was much more Afrikaans speaking than any other town in Namibia we had visited previously. We were treated to a delicious home cooked meal before heading to bed in a beautiful guest flat behind her house. The next day, we visited the Cheetah Conservation Fund, that was founded by a women from Roseburg, Oregon! And our tour guide, a Namibian, had studied at the University of Washington for four years. Such a small world. We got to learn about the interactions of cheetahs with nearby farmers, and watch them get fed lunch. Afterwards, we hopped on the Intercape Mainliner, a "luxury" bus to Livingstone, Zambia. On the bus, we met up with several others from our group who were headed there as well. Twenty hours later, we arrived in Livingstone and checked into our amazing hostel, Jollyboys. It was constantly busy with fellow travelers sharing their stories either around the pool, at the bar, or in the pillow pit- a massive network of couches and pillows in the center of the hostel.

The main reason we all headed up to Zambia was to see Victoria Falls, one of the seven wonders of the world. I visited both the Zambian side of Victoria Falls and the Zimbabwean side. Each were stunning in their own ways, and each reflected the flavor of the country. The Zambia side was much less developed, and you could see the falls very close up and intimately-- there weren't guard rails anywhere and you could hike down to the bottom to see the whirlpool, or to the top and stand in the water a few feet before it spilled over the edge. Don't worry, Mom, I was a wimp and only dipped a toe in the water! Most of the other travelers we saw were either young backpackers, or African tourists. The Zimbabwean National Park was the exact opposite. The trails were well paved and fenced, and we saw many well to do travelers accompanied by guides. The view of the falls was much more majestic and you could see a lot more of the falls, but there weren't any places where you could just sit and soak up the beauty and power of nature like there were in the Zambian park. I was very glad I was able to see both sides, because I liked them both for different reasons. The rest of our day in Zimbabwe was quite an experience. I had been warned that it was very unsafe and that we would be hassled a lot on the street, but we arrived to a very clean and orderly town with the most souvenir shops I have seen in all of Africa! We did have a couple dozen men approach us on the street but they were mostly selling us the old Zimbabwean dollars, which I happily purchased (once). How cool is it to hold a $5 trillion dollar bank note??

For the middle part of our trip, Emily and I headed into Botswana to go on a safari in Chobe National Park. We went on a morning boat cruise with a variety of travelers of all ages and walks of life. We had a delicious lunch, which was a welcome change from the peanut butter and apple sandwiches we had been living off of at the backpackers! In the afternoon, we split up into smaller groups for the game drive, and Emily and I ended up with two Australian girls in their 20s, which was perfect for us. We drove in an open safari truck down a bumpy track right next to the Zambezi river, and we saw dozens and dozens of elephants! The park alone has over 120,000 elephants. We also so herds of water buffalo, warthogs, and various antelope species. Just as we were turning back to leave for the day, another safari vehicle came barreling down the road at us. The driver shouted a few words to our driver and we immediately turned around and followed suit. Turns out, someone had spotted (pun intended) a leopard!! This completed the "Big 5" list for me and Emily. Almost more interesting than the leopard itself was watching all the tourists watch the leopard. At night, we camped in the middle of the park (with our guides) and we even had an elephant come up to the camp at dusk.

After saying goodbye to our Australian friends, we headed back to Jollyboys for the night, and confirmed the last leg of our trip-- a stay on a remote island in the middle of the Zambezi. We weren't getting picked up for the island until 2, so we had a morning free in Livingstone. As we were eating breakfast, the owner of the hostel approached us and explained that her boyfriend was filming a promotional video for the Royal Livingstone Hotel's boat tours and asked if we would like to be in it. Naturally, we jumped at the chance to be famous and see a fancy hotel. So after entering the hotel, we got sped around on a speedboat for a few hours getting filmed watched hippos and elephants. So surreal.

After a bumpy hour and a half in the back of a pickup, we arrived at Jungle Junction and Bovu Island and got canoed across to our accommodations. We had paid for a package deal that included 2 nights in a hut, all meals, all activities, and transport to and from Livingstone. When we got there there were only a few other travelers there, so we got upgraded to the fancy river-view chalets. The rooms were made from bamboo and elevated so you could see the marsh and the river flowing by, the front wall of the room was entirely mesh, so it really felt as if you were sleeping outside, we could even hear and see monkeys chattering in the trees. Complete paradise. The island was one kilometer long, beautiful and lush, and had no electricity so the stars at night were amazing. We ended up spending a lot of time with two British guys, and then the 2 Australian girls from our safari ended up joining us on the second night. It was so nice and refreshing to just totally relax with fellow travelers-- read in hammocks, play cards, and shower outside (but in real showers, not buckets!). We took a sunset canoe ride and managed to catch some fish, which I had never done before. We were extremely sad to leave such a beautiful, relaxing and magical place, but the day came and we bounced and jolted our way back to Livingstone.

Our bus left for Windhoek at 11:30am on Sunday and we arrived at 9am on Monday. Quite a lot of traveling! Our bus driver decided to slow down to a STOP for every pothole we encountered. And for some reason, we kept getting stopped at police checkpoints by Namibian customs agents who demanded everyone off the bus so they could throughly search it. They never found anything, but it sure delayed things. Now we are back to the routine in Windhoek, although I really feel like I should be in Malawi right now, since everyone we met had either just visited Malawi or were on their way. In all, break was a wonderful chance to meet fellow travelers, do things at our own pace, relax, and re-instilled my desire to seek out further opportunities for travel in the future.

Rural Homestay

I'm back after 3 weeks of traveling! I'm planning on posting a couple blog entries to get you all caught up.

In early March, CGE loaded up the van and drove 9 hours to the Northern Omusati region, close to the border with Angola. Each of us lived with a different family on a "homestead" for the week, getting picked up each day to travel around the region and listen to various speakers. My family consisted of Meme Saraphina, one of the toughest and hardworking ladies I have ever met; Kristof, a 16 year old boy who showed me the ropes around the place and kept me very very active; and Angula, a darling 3 year old boy whose antics kept me constantly amused. Their father lives and works in Swakopmund and only comes home occasionally, but I got to talk with him on the phone once. My homestead was about a 7 minute walk from the road, surrounded by fields of maize and mahanghu (millet). The house, which was more like a compound, was fenced with sticks and the open air rooms were defined by smaller fences. My room, like the others, was a hut made of mud bricks and thatched with grass. There were huts for storing, huts for sleeping, huts without walls for shade and relaxation, and huts for cooking.

On a typical day, I would wake up around 6:30, hear the crowing of roosters, watch the sun rise over the baobabs, and drink a cup of coffee and eat some bread with peanut butter. CGE gave our families a supplementary box of food, so we ate a mixture of traditional and pre-packaged foods. Then I would walk to the road and wait for the CGE van to pick me up for our day of activities. In the afternoon, I would arrive home around 4 and socialize in the shade with whatever neighbors were visiting. Afterwards, we would all go to the fields and "cultivate". This primarily referred to hoeing and weeding rows and rows of their fields. I took awhile to get the hang of it and they found my poor attempts hilarious. After cultivating, the sun would begin to set and I would don my "mosquito proof clothes" and go with Kristof to collect the goats. Animals are turned loose onto the roads in the morning and brought back to their pens in the evening. This is to prevent them from running loose in the fields and eating all the people-food! So it was a common sight to see donkeys, goats, and cattle roaming the roads everywhere in the North. Once we returned home, we would sit by the fire and cook oshifema-- a thick porridge made from water and millet flour, and either chicken stew, fish, or spinach. Promptly after the dishes were cleaned we would go to sleep, usually around 8:30 or 9.

Going to bed early was completely find with me as each day presented itself with many physical and mental challenges. It was considerably hotter in the North than it was in Windhoek. Additionally, there were no toilet facilities, you just found a place to go in the fields. Water was collected from a nearby pond, a fact I did not realize until I had been drinking it for half the week-- we were advised by CGE not to drink pond water, so I lucked out by not getting sick. Bathing was done using buckets outside, which was surprisingly invigorating and refreshing.

My experience with my homestay changed my opinion on a lot of things. The culture was very open and positive, I did not hear a single complaint from anyone the entire time I was there, even though there was tons of hard work to be done daily. Neighbors and family frequently stopped in to visit and lend a helping hand, or take a jug of the Marula juice my Meme made. The culture, like many other non-American cultures I have encountered, really focuses on politely greeting everyone you meet, which helped me feel welcome and accepted. In addition, one of my friends observed that people in the North seemed more satisfied with their lives than many people in the United States because they work all day to produce food for themselves and their families. They also follow the patterns of the sun, rising and sleeping as it rises and falls and resting during the hottest part of the day. This is potentially more rewarding and fulfilling lifestyle than spending days indoors securing profits for a company that you may not even believe in. There was also much less noticeable inequality, everyone has land to cultivate and some animals to raise and eat. It is no wonder that many people in Windhoek talk fondly about life in the North and want to return. Windhoek is seen by many people as a place for work and education only, and the North is the place where people hope to raise a family and retire.

After my time in the North, I realized why tribalism is such a large issue in Namibia. The area where we stayed was almost entirely Ovambo and Oshiwambo was the language spoken everywhere, even in schools and on billboards. The people I met identified as being Ovambo first, and Namibian second. This sentiment obviously poses problems of national and political unity.

Lastly, despite the positive attitudes of my family, I still witnessed the affects of extreme poverty. Most children I met were very small for their age, and most did not have proper shoes or clothes. And there was no "clean" drinking water, or sanitation services, or electricity. In the eyes of the Millennium Development Goals, my family was severely underdeveloped, yet they still led a happy and full life. It made me realize how easy it is to generalize poverty and turn it into statistics, without understanding the other factors contributing to a person's well-being, or understanding the lifestyles that have been in place for generations. It also made me realize how difficult it would be for an international development organization to come into the region and "modernize" because of differences in the community structures, a huge lack of English, and a lack of understanding of traditional practices and values. And why spend money to create water taps when each family has access to ponds that provide them with plenty of water that does not make them sick?

Overall, my homestay experience was both rewarding and challenging. It altered my perspective on rural life, development plans, and how we view poverty. I also learned to appreciate being disconnected from the world I am used to with cell phones and laptops, and take time to appreciate sunsets, stars, and a variety of (somewhat terrifying) bug life!

Travel Seminar to the Coast!

The Center for Global Education (CGE) took us on a long weekend trip to the coast where we visited the towns of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. The car ride (kombi is the name of the 20 seater van we ride in) there was four hours and it was fascinating to see the scenery change. We left Windhoek passing through lush rolling hills and mountains, we then journeyed through the Otjozondjupa region which had flat grassy plains and tall purple craggy mountains, and finally passed through the flat and sandy Namib Desert before reaching Swakop-- a large touristy beach town with very German architecture.

The first day we toured an informal settlement on the outskirts of town and on the edge of the Namib Desert. Swakop attracts many job seekers because of its large tourism industry. The municipality has planned for years to increase infrastructure and formalize the settlement, but as far as I could tell, they had only managed to install street lamps and pre-paid water pumps. Even water is expensive- you must load money onto a small device that can be inserted into the community meter. $10 N only pays for 110 litres. It was truly shocking to see the living conditions of the settlement that houses over 6000 people. The area was completely flat and sandy and small shacks were erected in neat rows as far as the eye could see. We visited a school and a few houses, so we were able to meet and briefly connect with the residents there.

The next day was action packed as we traveled to Walvis Bay which is the main port for Namibia. In the morning we met with a representative from the municipality, traveled to the lagoon to see some birds (enormous pelicans), saw how they extract salt from sea water and process it. After a picnic lunch, we visited a halfway house for abused children. If child protection services picks up a child, they usually stay at the center for awhile before being transferred into foster care, or returned to their families. Strangely, the center is not funded at all by the government and operates completely on donations and the benevolence of others living in Walvis Bay. The director explained that several very young children staying with them were "dumped." They were disposed of in toilets or abandoned in the desert when they were only a few days old. The stories she shared were heartbreaking, but very believable given the fact that abortion is illegal here and unemployment and poverty rates are very high. The center serves a critical function of rescuing and rehabilitating children that truly would not have a future otherwise.

My favorite part was our last visit of the day to the Port of Namibia. We learned about the main role of the port- moving imports into landlocked countries such as Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the DRC, as well as exporting raw materials and minerals to Europe and South America. We got to see piles of lead, uranium, salt, and some ingredient for toothpaste waiting for transfer, as well as UK and US cars waiting to be shipped into the interior. After witnessing so much poverty and stagnation in government policies, Namport was an uplifting and invigorating experience. It was clear that the powerful wheels of the economy were in motion, and it was fascinating to realize that most of what we consume in Namibia must first travel through that port. It really makes you appreciate the effort it takes to make most of the products we use on a daily basis.

To cap off our busy day in Walvis Bay, we headed to Dune 7- a 300 foot dune in the Namib, the oldest desert in the world. The climb up was a struggle- the sand was so hot it burned the top of my feet all the way up the extremely vertical dune. Once at the top, the view was amazing and it felt like we ruled the world.

Saturday, we had a free day and all 16 of us went on a tour that combined quad biking and sand boarding. We rode deep into the desert on the bikes going up, over, and around the dunes. Once we got to some gigantic dunes, we were given waxed boards and we flew down the dunes face first on our stomachs. Quite the adrenaline rush! We ended the day by swimming in the ocean- it was actually warm enough to swim around for quite some time.

Overall, the trip to the coast was one of contrasts: economic activity contrasted with a shanty town in the desert. The thrills of adventure tourism contrasting with the chills felt learning about the lives of abandoned children. Swakop clearly catered to a high end tourist market and it was strange to think that many people passing through are probably oblivious to the other end of the spectrum and the inequalities the region faces. Now we are back in Windhoek for a busy academic week before leaving to travel to the North!

Windhoek Wanderings

This past week, I have made a concerted effort to get out of the CGE compound, with its comfortable couches, hot meals prepared on time everyday, and alluring pool. After the exciting week at the homestays, it seemed silly to err on the side of familiarity and comfort. Here is a sampling of what I did for fun this week when I wasn't in class or at my internship.

On Wednesday, I had my internship until noon and then my friend met me downtown and we went shopping and got big bowls of gelato for the equivalent of 66 American cents. Malls are very popular here in Windhoek-- I can think of five off the top of my head, that I have been to so far. Within the mall is the usual array of chain stores and department stores as well as internet cafes, nice restaurants and grocery stores. Part of the appeal is due to transportation- people who drive can park their cars in a safe and well guarded parking lots, and people who rely on taxis can always find an available driver nearby to get them home. Despite their popularity, most of the shopping centers close at one o'clock on the weekends making them overwhelmingly busy on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It felt like a luxury to go shopping mid-week when there were less people around.

Thursday evening, I wandered around the craft center- a large complex selling all sorts of handicrafts, went out to dinner at Mugg and Bean- a South African chain restaurant akin to Applebees, and attended an improv show at the Franco-Namibian cultural center. It was put on by University of Namibia theater students and was quite the experience. I would say that improv comedy is a new art form here, because the shows I have attended on my campus back at home were of much higher quality than this one. Nevertheless, it attracted a big crowd of all different nationalities and they were well received.

Friday night, a big group of the girls on the program walked downtown to a cute little outdoor restaurant tucked away behind one of the malls and ordered fancy desserts. Then afterwards a few of us went to one of the more upscale hotels (located in where else? a mall.) and visited their casino. Neither of us had gambled before and we had fun trying to play the slot machines, and watching the more skilled clientele play poker and blackjack. Walking back home, a short 15 minute walk, we noticed that their was hardly anyone out on the street. Perhaps it was because it was drizzling, but it seems like people tend to go out in their neighborhoods more than in downtown, and that downtown is the business and commerce hub during the day, but not very lively at night.

On Saturday, we went for an urban hike in a nature preserve that overlooked the city. The views were great, and it was interesting to see new varieties of plants- most of them had spines and thorns on them, so at times it was slow going on the trail!

Finally, today I took a cab to a place called the Chinese Mall. It was a series of warehouses housing Chinese business owners selling cheap import products, from clothes to carpets to electronics. We had a lot of fun looking around and made a couple purchases for a grand total of 7 USD. In general, the Chinese are not treated very well here- people criticize them for selling cheaply made goods, and also disapprove of them in the role of small-business owner. There is definite racism towards them in many conversations I have had with Namibians here. There were many small cottages next to the warehouses, which I assumed meant that many Chinese lived right next to their warehouses in their own little community. The local cell phone companies had translated their adds into Chinese characters and put up posters all around the complex- a true integration of cultures. I'm very interested to hear a Chinese perspective on life here- and what made them decide to travel across the world to sell a handful of products. More to come on that as the semester progresses, I hope.

That's all for now, I have a full week next week: two internship interviews for this summer via Skype, and a trip to Swakopmund and the Atlantic Coast on Thursday!

Katatura Homestay

This past week I have been living with a host family and traveling to the Center only to attend classes. I lucked out and had the most welcoming and energetic family that kept me both perpetually entertained and perpetually learning throughout the entire experience. Their house was located in Katatura, which is a township about a 10 minute drive from downtown Windhoek. Before independence, Katatura was segregated based on tribes- a strategy the colonial government used to keep the black population divided and less likely to come together and revolt. My home was located in the old "Oshiwambo location," and while my family did speak primarily a dialect of Oshiwambo at home, Katatura is no longer segregated any longer. It does still remain a relatively low-income area- there were seven people living in an originally two bedroom house- which was made larger by several sturdily built metal rooms in the backyard. The toilet room, a stucco room in the backyard, also functioned as the shower room, and water from the sink drained into buckets outside that had to be routinely emptied. Despite a slightly cramped environment, the family all got along well, with everyone pitching out to wash dishes or clothes, and everyone gathering in the living room to eat meals together or watch movies. I can't possibly describe everything, but here are some of my most interesting adventures:

- Learning how to eat oshifema: This is a warm bread dish about the consistency of silly putty or oatmeal that has hardened slightly. Its made from a seedlike grain called mahango that is then ground into flour, mixed with water, and cooked over the stove. I learned to take a wad of oshifema and then dip it into the meat sauce, and then follow it up by eating the meat with my hands. No silverware allowed!

- Watching "soapies": Every night the whole family (and probably the entire neighborhood) was glued to the TV to watch the show "Sabor a Ti," a Venezuelan drama poorly translated into English. Globalization at its finest.

- Practicing my Oshiwambo: My host dad found out I was taking this language in school and helped me (well, drilled me) in this new language I'm trying to learn. An example: Wa la la po? is Good Morning, and the response is "Ee-ee," pronounced ayyyyyyyy?. I'm just glad I don't need to learn any of the click languages, 'Wambo is going to be hard enough!

-Going to Church: Oscar, my host dad, is very involved in the local Lutheran Church, and was the cantor for the Sunday service. The singing from the congregation of over 200 people gave me chills. The whole congregation sang in beautiful harmony and created such a full and powerful sound you could practically feel it vibrating through the air. Halfway through the service, Oscar invited me up and gave me the microphone to introduce myself, and invited me to sing a song with him that we had practiced the night before. So, I sang a hymn about welcoming and acceptance in Oshiwambo to the entire congregation! Despite the fact that I never sing in public, it went ok, and people were impressed- they thought I could actually speak the language, when all I was doing was phonetically reading the words in the hymnal. It felt good to offer something to the community and to show that I genuinely have an interest in learning about their culture. And it was nice to be stared at because I was actually doing something (singing) instead of being stared at just because of the color of my skin!

- Going to an Engagement Party: This was an interesting experience because the bride was Oshiwambo and the groom was from Germany. It was cool to see both sides of the family interacting and concrete proof that social norms have changed since apartheid. The tradition is that the women's family nails a white flag to their home to show that their daughter is betrothed. And then, like in all cultures, you eat a ton of food to celebrate!

That's all for now! If you have any questions, feel free to send me a comment!

Welcome to Windhoek

Today, I have officially been in Namibia for two weeks, but it feels like so much longer and Windhoek is starting to feel like a second home. All 16 of us on the program are living and going to school in a large house situated about a 10 minute walk from downtown. We are all starting to get into more established routines, a nice change of pace from the frenzied touring we did in South Africa. I have either a politics, history, or development class in the mornings, and then afternoons I take Oshiwambo language class, an internship class, or yoga. I have been placed at an internship with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare in their statistical research division. I go there from 8 to 5 on Mondays and from 8 to 1 on Wednesdays. So far it has been quite the eye opening experience. The Ministry does not get funds from the government until March which means that while they have money to operate, they do not have funds to implement any of their projects. In the meantime, most of the employees are taking Master's classes and use the downtime to focus on their education. On the positive side, there is another intern who graduated from the University of Namibia and we have become friends. It has been interesting to hear with her experiences trying to find work post-graduation. Just as in the USA, college grads are having a hard time to find meaningful employment. In addition, all the other employees are eager to help me learn about the government, and even volunteered to set up meetings with other government officials if I want to create my own research project. So if anyone has any research suggestions, I am all ears. If the Ministry job is going to be on the slower side for the next few weeks, I am eager to take initiative of my own learning and figure out something fun to do with my time.

I've had a couple enjoyable weekend excursions around Windhoek. The first weekend, I walked all over Windhoek with a friend, this included visiting the breathtakingly beautiful Parliament Gardens, an old German Church that looks like a gingerbread house, and the top of the Hilton hotel which afforded panoramic views of the city. Another weekend I went to a Young Achievers youth group meeting- the goal of the group is to empower youth to stay in school and achieve their "life visions." I had a lot of fun and was impressed by the focus, dedication, and positive energy the Young Achievers had, a theme that has been prevalent in most of my interactions with Namibians...the chance to get an education is taken very seriously here. One night, all 16 of us took taxis out to Joe's Beerhouse, a popular restaurant serving mostly game...I had small filets of ostritch, kudu (a kind of antelope), and springbok, all which were delicious. The only bad part of the meal was biting into a "green bean" only to find that it was a spicy green chile pepper! All in all, these past few weeks have been dedicated to adjusting to my new semi-permanent home... everything from crossing a busy street using "robots" (street lights) to buying "airtime" for my new cell phone, to getting caught in a surprise rainstorm has presented its small joys and challenges. I'm living with a host family this week in the Windhoek version of Jo'burg's Soweto, so get excited to hear stories and see pictures from that in a few weeks!

***Pictures: Christuskirche in Windhoek, Lizard in Windhoek, Flying over Botswana,

South Africa Wrap Up

On our last day in South Africa, we went to Pretoria, the nation’s capital and about an hours drive from Jo’burg. We first went to the Voortrekker monument, a giant building built to commorate the Afrikaaner pioneers who went on the “Great Trek” from Cape town to the inland areas of SA in the 1800s. It was built in the 1930s in the Art Deco style. I went into the day thinking that it was going to be very racist and controversial. But after looking through the exhibits, the Voortrekkers seemed to be the exact same as the America’s heroic westward traveling pioneers. They even wore sunbonnets and used oxen powered covered wagons. The monument really served as a slap in the face in terms of my interpretation of American history. The problem is that we rarely get to hear the side of the Native Americans, while in SA we often hear the perspective of the original people. History really is determined by those who conquered. Anyway, the monument was really cool- even engineered so that on December 16^th, the date of a large battle, a ray of sunlight shines into the monument over the tomb of the unknown Voortrekker. We also saw zebras right outside of the monument!

After the monument, we went to the US Embassy. After going through heavy security checks, we met with the Senior political advisor, a cultural affairs officer, and the deputy press attaché. They gave us information about the role of the embassy and about the process of entering into a career with the State Department. It re-inspired me to consider a career with them. Afterwards, we headed to the University of Pretoria to meet with a history professor who was also an Afrikaaner. He explained the Great Trek more fully and had an interesting observation about the end of apartheid. He said that the Afrikaaner community felt apartheid was justified as long as the United States imposed segregation as well. After the civil rights movement, the Cold War was in progress and since the ANC, the group in charge of the liberation movement, was also unashamedly communist, the US was afraid an ANC government takeover would mean losing an ally in the Cold War as well as losing access to the supply of strategic metals necessary to produce nuclear weapons. So the US chose to support the white dominated government to maintain its own security and stability. Only after the end of the Cold War did the US become outspoken in ending apartheid. It was a very interesting point of view that I would have never considered otherwise. He was also a very entertaining professor and told me afterwards that he had been to Oregon and visited the Bonneville Dam and hiked up Eagle Creek! Small world.

Jo'burg 2

During the second half of our first week in Jo’burg, we left Soweto and ventured into downtown Jo’burg. It was just like any other large city- busy streets, tall buildings, and business people in suits no matter the heat. Jo’burg is the economic and financial capital of the country as was apparent by the number of bank buildings we passed over the span of a few blocks.

We had the opportunity to speak with a representative of the Democratic Alliance party and then immediately afterwards to talk to representatives of the ANC-the dominant party. The man from the DA said that one of the challenges to South African politics today is that the ANC is still seen as the liberation party, and has been in power since 1994. He suggested that because the party is blindly supported as benevolent liberators, the ANC is not pushed to improve its provision of services to the public because they don’t have an incentive to (ie. no real political competition). His point was validated when we visited the ANC offices and were treated to a detailed and glorious history of the past 100 years the party has been in power. However when we asked them about current political policies and challenges there was much hemming and hawing to be done. As I learned in my African politics class, liberation movement leaders often become presidents because they have the popular support, but it becomes easy for them to hold on to the power and hard for democratic transitions to occur fully. I met people who said that there was no doubt in their minds that the ANC would win the next election; it was just a matter of figuring out who the ANC would elect as their presidential candidate. To me, South Africa is not quite a true democracy yet because there is no real competition between parties and voters base their decisions on the past and party loyalty rather than on policy or on a charismatic leader.

This weekend I got the opportunity to stay with a black South African family with another girl from my program. We were supposed to be living in Soweto, in order to really soak in the culture that we had been studying for the past week. My family however, had moved from Soweto to the suburbs and lived about 45 minutes outside of Jo’burg. It was a family of 4: Mom, Dad, daughter aged 17, and son aged 9. The daughter was born in 1994 and her name is Nonkululeko, meaning freedom. It was interesting to talk to her and hear about her beliefs growing up in a world that never experienced apartheid. Much of her life was very similar to ours in the US- lot of homework and worry about applying to university, a cell phone addiction, getting excited about prom. One thing I felt that was different and admirable was the strong moral compass she and her friends all had. They were comfortable with their beliefs whether they were concerning religion, women’s rights, moral behavior, or sex. I think it takes most American teenagers much more time to figure out what they believe and who they think they are. On the other hand, South Africa is a pretty socially conservative society and perhaps it is easier to take a strong stance on issues, while in the US there is more flexibility in terms of what your culture tells you to think. We were treated to traditional foods such as “dumplings,” which was steamed bread, and “pap,” a thick mashed potato like dish made from maize-meal. We also had a braaii (BBQ) and some vegetable dishes. All in all, I was lucky to have the opportunity to live with a host family for the weekend, even though the circumstances were somewhat different than what I had expected.

Some final observations; now that we are reunited with the group. I am realizing how much I value alone time for reflection and rejuvenation. They say there are 2 types of people, those who draw energy from participating in large groups, and those who find themselves drained by a large, loud environment. I am learning that I fall into the second group. While I love connecting with my fellow travelers, after a whole day of learning/driving/eating together, I am ready for some alone time by the evening. Instead of feeling bad or anti-social about this, I’m taking the time for myself, knowing if I do, I will be able to be my best self around others the next day. That’s all for now, tomorrow we visit the US embassy in Pretoria and on Wednesday we fly to Namibia!

**Note: The internet crashed so I wrote this yesterday and posted this a day late. Look for a new post about Pretoria soon! And I fly to Namibia tomorrow J

Journey to Johannesburg

After 16 and a half hours of flying- 7 to Dakar, Senegal plus an hour wait inside the plane, plus another 8 and a half to South Africa, we made it to Johannesburg. First observations were that it didn’t feel a whole lot like a place outside of the United States, aside from the fact that cars drive on the left side of the road. Since all signs and advertisements are written in English, I didn’t get the usual culture shock I get in most countries of trying to decipher foreign words. Additionally the cars are a pretty normal size, unlike the miniature ones the Europeans scurry around in. Even the weather was fairly normal. It’s been overcast and windy- not more than 70 at the hottest. I even wore jeans today!

While in Johannesburg the 16 of us students plus the professor and intern are staying at a guesthouse in a suburb outside of Jo’burg. It has quite a history, built in 1911 and served as a secondary school and seminary for young black men such as Desmond Tutu (!). It is a perfect place for us to adjust to the 10 hour time change and take everything in. All the buildings are open air and the courtyard is filled with shady trees and tropical flowers, a beautiful contrast with the stately brick buildings. We eat breakfast and dinner here and I was surprised to realize that South African food is heavily influenced by British cuisine; I guess I should have suspected that since they were under British colonial rule for so long. This has led to food such as beans on toast for breakfast, marmalade, lots of tea at all times of the day, beef stew, and puddings of all types.

The last few days we have been exploring Soweto, the largest township in South Africa. It houses an estimated 3-5 million people in a 16 by 23 km area. This was the area where many blacks lived during apartheid because it was within close proximity to the city, where they could work but not live. Today, I was surprised by the vastness of the area and the economic diversity within its boundaries. From how the area was presented by the media and in articles I had read, I imagined the entire area to be a sprawling slum. However I was surprised to see very nice homes, a university, a shopping mall nicer than my own back home, and the largest state hospital within its borders. We also saw Nelson Mandela’s house and some liberation struggle museums within Soweto. Today we visited Kliptown, which was a much more impoverished area of Soweto. Most residents were unemployed and received little if any help from the government, except the use of porta-potties, which were distributed one per 25 families. The root causes, that I could discern from the situation, was a lack of means to attain a quality education- there are no schools in Kliptown and children must walk far to attend even primary school, which then creates unemployability. The lack of utility services was also a noticeable problem. Lastly, we were told that illegal immigrants often end up in informal settlements such as this one because they lack proper documents to qualify for other housing. On a positive note, we were made welcome in the community, despite our feelings of self-consciousness trooped through someone else’s neighborhood. Kliptown is a forgotten part of Jo’burg and the impression I got was that residents were glad someone was taking the time to learn about them and the daily challenges they face. My overall impression of Soweto is that today it is as economically diverse as if it was its own city. Perhaps if it was treated as its own independent entity it could get funding for services more easily than today, as it is treated the same way as it was pre-apartheid- simply as a township adjacent to the larger city of Johannesburg.

That's all for now, I stay with a host family in Soweto this weekend, and I can't wait to experience South African food and culture firsthand!

The Adventure Begins

My journey began today with an early morning flight out to Washington DC. I'm spending the night at a classy hotel out at the airport (thanks to mom's AAA card discounts!) before embarking on a 17 hour flight to Johannesburg tomorrow. I'm starting the trip off with the first of many new experiences- I've never spent a night in a hotel alone before, but it's turning out to be a good thing. All day long people have been helpful and nice to me, from the lady in line at security with me whose daughter graduated from both my high school and my college, to the airport shuttle driver who offered me both information and conversation. I'd like to think of it as a little message from the universe telling me that while I may be feeling the most independent I've ever been and a little alone, there are always people willing to help out and offer friendship. The experience is also making me excited to meet the rest of the students in my study abroad program tomorrow. While traveling alone has been much better than I expected it would be, I still feel like an essential part of the traveler's experience is the ability to share moments with others. I can't wait to meet my fellow adventurers! Lastly, this first part of my trip has reminded me why I love to travel. I love the constant traffic in airports, the swarms of people and airport personnel all moving non-stop in a carefully orchestrated dance that ships people and their things around the world. Call me crazy, but in some way, airports always make me feel more connected to the rest of humanity. And as much as I don't like change, I was reminded today how much I like experiencing new places and meeting new people. Today's smallish trip across the country made me realize how much I have to look forward to over the next few months. Despite a few butterflies, I'm ready to go!