Goodbye, Real World

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Trip Start Jan 13, 2010 Trip End May 12, 2010 Next
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  Mclean, Virginia
Wednesday, January 13, 2010

It's my last night in the US for five months. Crazy.  It hasn't clicked at all that I'm about to be in Tanzania, a dream come true.  Of course, first I'll get to spend two weeks in England, which I am so happy I planned into my trip.  Another two weeks of just waiting to start the semester would make me a little stir crazy and it would be too long to go without seeing some of my best friends who live there.  After England, though, it's off to Kilimanjaro International Airport to begin the semester.

Honestly, I'm not sure what to expect.  I've tried to not form any expectations about the semester, except that it's going to be the experience of a lifetime.  What I do know, however, is this.  My program is focused on political ecology and conservation in Tanzania, so we'll be learning about the natural fauna and flora and also the legal aspect of conservation and how it affects local people.  I'll also be taking Swahili language classes, the official language of Tanzania, so hopefully my prior experience will come in handy.  I'll also have a homestay for around 6 weeks.  I don't know anything about my family yet, even if they speak English, but they'll be an important part of my semester.

Right now, I'm doing some last minute packing, while watching my last episode of the Real World for half a year.  I thought I'd feel a lot more nervous and anxious, but I'm just excited and can't believe how lucky I am.  After all, I'm trading MTV for the Serengeti and I don't think I'll miss Snookie one bit.

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