Here We Go...

On January 13 I will arrive in Cape Town, South Africa after spending over 17 hours straight on a plane. For the next three and a half months I, along with sixteen other UConn students, will call a house in the city suburbs home (the other four are in an apartment nearby). We will all have unique internships placed based on our individual interests (mine is found here), we will all have classes held on the beautiful University of Cape Town campus, and we will all get to choose a volunteer project somewhere in the local community. And that’s not even the “fun” stuff. Cape Town is surrounded on one side by a mountain ridge, most prominently Table Mountain, and on the other side by some of the world’s best beaches. Every aspect of this trip is going to be incredible, from my opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of those I work with to finally being able to learn how to surf!

The city of Cape Town, surrounded by mountains!

After all that, you probably wouldn’t have guessed that deciding to participate in this program has probably been the hardest decisions of my life. As a senior, I am currently on track to graduate this coming May like the rest of my friends. I am well grounded at UConn and could have easily stayed in my comfort zone, riding out what could have been my lightest semester since freshman year. Instead, I’m leaving behind some of the best friends you could ever want for a few months and throwing myself into a completely foreign environment. Luckily, my friends have been very supportive of me going away, though I’d be silly to think I’d leave without getting a good-hearted hard time (I’m looking at you Kenny Cheung).

So I’ve decided to blog about this entire experience. I am hoping to share my thoughts, feelings, and adventures with anyone who is willing to give me the time of day. Saying goodbye to so many great friends, my girlfriend, and my family is going to be hard, and communication while there is going to be just as difficult. I’m hoping to use this as a way to stay connected, so when I come back and talk about South Africa (if Guatemala has anything to show for it, this will be ALL I talk about until next Christmas), people will have a better understanding and appreciation for my rambling.