Allons-y!

It's tomorrow. Or today, depending on how technical you want to be. I can't believe I'm going back to Africa as a hiatus from my classes in Furman Hall, my workouts in the PAC, and my time in the DH...it's incredibly surreal. As cliche as it is, this trip is sure to be life-changing.

It has been so great to spend time with many of my marvelous Furman friends this week and weekend. I am so grateful for my college friendships. It was certainly nice to have fake "Valentine's" dinner on Saturday as well, on my 21-monthaversary with my sweet boyfriend. After presenting the Pecha Kucha on psychological attachment styles, submitting the paper on Raisin in the Sun as Aristotelian tragedy, taking the photography test that got moved up 2.5 hours due to imminent sleet and hail, completing the paper on the Gates Foundation, and perusing Linda Richter's article on AIDS orphan tourism, I'm very much ready to stare at some in-flight movies and maybe even do some Sudoku.

I wish I could say that I've finished packing, but I'm not quite there yet...40 pounds for 9 weeks--bring it on!

Feeling so excited. And scared. And happy. And blessed. And a little crazy.

Off to the bottom of Africa, 7 hours ahead of my east-coast USA friends. See you in April.

Africa, Week Two

My goodness, it has been a long two weeks.

On Tuesday, I finally got overwhelmed by the amount of homework, the intimidating time and energy commitment required for sorority recruitment, and the whole mess of future-planning (job-searching and housing research). It started to make me feel a little crazy (crazier than usual). Thank goodness God's in charge and He will provide. I took a quick run out in the healing rain and it was most lovely.

Class-wise, this week we read the Crucible (still dislike), A Raisin in the Sun (cool!) and Siszwe Banzi is Dead (super interesting, plus our professor did his dissertation on Althol Fugard). We looked at lots of images by South African photographers. We watched "I Am Because We Are."

Tayla, Margaret and Katherine accompanied me on several runs. We made it through a lot of rain. I did a lot of strategic sorority socializing and I made my second-ever bar appearance with my Dgroup. I spoke in front of approximately 600 people and I felt fine: a vast improvement from my freshman days in public speaking. I cannot quite believe I will never have times quite like this weekend with my sorority sisters again, and that I am leaving for Africa in only seven days: my goodness.

I processed two big questions in a preparatory exercise this week:

• What types of contributions are needed by the world at this point in history?

People need to really love and sacrifice for others. We need to live according to God's will. We need to figure out tangible things we can do to help others on a regular basis. We need to live boldly, and trust without being constantly fearful.

• What does the world need less of?

Selfishness, suffering, inequality, poverty, entitlement, ignorance, malnourishment, waste, trash, laziness, fear.

Off to pack and finish three papers and a group project. 'Til next time!

Introduction to an African Adventure

Last week felt about a month long, but it wasn't unpleasant. Just one week ago I started four new classes sure to teach me more than just facts to be memorized. I'm in reading, papers and projects up to my ears (with the addition of many hours simultaneously spent on sorority recruitment), but I am blissfully happy. I'm combating senioritis Furman-style by traveling to southern Africa for 9 weeks, but there is a lot of preparation to be done before we leave. God is so good.

I am taking:

1. Poverty and Child Development: a psychology course
2. Global Health Inequalities: a sociology course with one of my absolute favorite professors on a topic that I care deeply about
3. Travel Photography (with a documentary focus): where I will learn to apply the technical principles from my film photography class using my beloved new manual point-and-shoot (Canon Powershot SX260 HS) with 20x zoom
4. The Stage, Theory and Social Struggle: a drama-for-social-change class with an adorable Nigerian professor who did his dissertation on apartheid literature

The highlights so far:
-The people, both professors and fellow students, are wonderful. I am so thankful for the chance to form and develop close relationships with the 24 individuals involved in my study-abroad experience.
-The Danger of a Single Story: a great TEDtalk that hit me like a ton of bricks. Even though I've traveled extensively and even been to several parts of Africa before, I am still guilty of having an oversimplified view of the Africa--one that highlights the suffering over all else and evokes "patronizing pity." This is a particularly important message for those doing relief work to digest.
-The Babies documentary: man, I love babies. The world is a beautiful place, with so many different people raising their youngsters.
-A Closer Walk: AIDS documentary. If you haven't watched it, you need to. We need to care for our fellow humans.
-I spent a lot of time exploring REI with my sweet roommate in order to use a gift card that was a present from American Leprosy Missions, my internship for the summer and fall (miss them!)...REI has a lot of things I didn't even know existed: so useful! Watch out world, I now own a pocket knife ;)

I'll leave you with the verse that started it all: Acts 7:3.
"Leave your country and your people,' God said, 'and go to the land I will show you.'"

On January 28th, I will go.