One Month and Counting!

     WOW! Hard to believe it was just February….. As I slowly sort out all the details of travel, my worry and doubt are beginning to dissolve into pure excitement!!

    I am still working to get a lot of things figured out (how to get money over there, glasses, contacts, insurance), but I have also accomplished a lot in the past couple months! I will get my last Rabies vaccine on Tuesday, I ordered and now have a new computer – yay!! And new ‘equipment’ (external hard drive, cd drive, case) is on its way in the mail. I bought my plane ticket and will be “leaving on a jet plane” on May 27^th, so that leaves me at exactly one month until departure!

    My ‘adopted mom’ from church lent me The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency books, a series about a detective in Botswana, so I have been attempting to get through the first in the series in my spare time (needless to say, I haven’t gotten very far). But it is pretty interesting so far, and is definitely preparing me a bit for the culture I should expect there! One very evident difference between Botswana and American cultures portrayed in this book is the role of women. It is hard for me to imagine a place where women aren’t nearly as respected as men, but it is part of the traditions and culture that these people have lived in for… ever! While it will take some getting used to, I’m also pretty sure the people in the semi-tourist town I’ll be living in are probably very used to Americans coming in and thinking they own the place….

   Well, that’s all for now, back on to school, finishing up presentations, papers, finals, and then graduation!! Can’t wait to see the family.

Here we go....

Well. I know I may be starting this whole blog thing a bit early, but I can't really hold back! I'm starting to prepare for life after graduation, and decided to begin a blog so everyone can keep up with me. I'm officially leaving for Botswana on May 27th to live and work there for one year. Botswana is a country in southern Africa (check out the wiki here) that is safe, stable, and 70% desert (unfortunately its desert and not dessert...). 

     It started a couple weeks ago when I starting freaking out a little bit about what I would be getting into after I graduated. My advisor recommended contacting some professors to see if they had any work available for me this semester that might lead to summer and/or fall jobs in Blacksburg. The first professor I e-mailed was Dr. Kathy Alexander, who does the majority of her research in Botswana with disease ecology. She said she could probably find something, so I went to her office to talk to her about the data entry I would be doing, and as she was explaining her work, she happened to mention a position she had opening up for an environmental educator. That peaked my interest and I guess she noticed and said that if I wanted to apply I could e-mail her my resume and cover letter and she would pass it on to her husband, who is in charge of the organization in Botswana that they co-founded. 

    So a couple days later I e-mailed her my application around midnight, and the next morning when I woke up had an e-mail of acceptance for the position! It was a very quick turn around and extremely surprising and overwhelming at first. It was basically phrased so that I was pretty much going unless I told them otherwise. I decided to take the weekend to sleep and pray on it. I talked to my parents and Chip and I couldn't seem to find a good enough reason to say no, so I was on board! It has been a lot to take in and I have gotten mixed responses from everyone, but in the end, I think it will be a great experience that will help me a lot with my future career path. (Even if it is a year away from home!)

    A few details (what I know so far) about what I will be doing:  My professor and her husband founded CARACAL (check out the website) in Kasane, Botswana, and they have quite a variety of things that they do! There are many projects going on, some of which I will be helping with while I am there. My primary responsibility will be teaching at two schools once a week, and with my other time I will be working with the project manager in the lab and field. It will be great work experience, in addition to cultural! Hopefully I will get some time to explore the area, visit Victoria Falls (about an hour away), find a church, and get to know some people in the community.
    Everyone's a bit curious as to whether I'll be getting paid.... this is technically a volunteer position, meaning I have to pay for airfare (thanks mom and dad for the graduation gift of the plane ticket!!) and living expenses, but I will be getting a monthly stipend to cover the cost for rent while I am there. Not toooo shabby.

    Last week’s ‘benediction’ on d365 really hit home to me as I struggle wondering whether this is the right step for me right now. I find comfort in the fact that I have the support of my family and friends and know that God will never fail me!

Move now into the broken world.
Travel with an intense determination
To find your way into healing,
To take the message of reconciliation
With you,
Within you,
For everyone.  

What a great way to start off this new adventure!