I now have a little less then 12 hours before the first plane takes off and all I can feel is excitement. My bags are almost packed to the best of my ability (minus those little odds and ends that I suddenly remember and have to do a run around the house for) and my mind is focused on the trip ahead. I am flying to Dakar, Senegal with all the gear that I will need for the next four months in a backpack and a suitcase. The structure of the SIT program that I am participating in is different then most other study abroad programs, as we are not just taking classes in the host country, but emersing ourselves in the culture and everyday life of the people. First we will have orientation with the program and then we will be plunged into living Senegalese style with a host family (who I know nothing about as of right now, but I can’t wait until I meet them!). The first two thirds of the program will consist of taking classes in French, Wolof (the dominant African ethnicity of the area) and various cultural workshops. After that period we will each be conducting a research project, on a subject of our choosing (although it must somehow relate to “national identity and the arts”, which is the program title). We then will present it at the end of the program, and end our stay. Throughout the trip we will have excursions to various locations, including 2 village homestays, the historic city of Saint Louis, and Kédougou (an ethnic minority village)_
For now, my jitters consist of so much excitement that I forgot one of my shoes in the glove box of my car, and eating my final meal in the U.S (thai food, oh how I will miss you). I feel so lucky that I get to go on this amazing adventure, and I hope you enjoy it virtually just as much as I do! Once I am settled in Dakar, I will be sure to post again, but for now, I’m off for lands yet charted, by myself that is!