Monday, December 29, 2014

Wait, How Many Days?

So apparently I'm leaving in 4 days...I don't really know where the past 6+ months have gone but I'm almost there. I was planning on posting more this past month but I had this nightmare about someone reading my blog and stalking me. I know it was just a dream, but a lot of my dreams come true so I was just being careful.

As far as news in Burkina Faso these days, it's all soccer (football) news because of the African Cup of Nations tournament coming up in mid-January. Burkina did really well last year so they're hoping to do well again this year. It will be held in Equatorial Guinea.
 
I have everything I need for the trip, and now all I have to do is show up at the airport. I'm almost done packing, I have all my medicine, I have all my travel information printed out and in my binder, I started my travel journaling (Thanks for the journal Rachel!). I am still looking for a good book to take on the plane with me, any suggestions? Preferably books you have a copy of. Also does anyone at home have a pair of noise reducing headphones I could borrow? I want a pair but I don't have $200 to drop on them.

Also, for each of my big trips, I like to come up with a quote that sort of defines where I want the trip to go. I haven't decided for sure yet, but I'm loving this one:

"It is in all of us to defy expectations, to go into the world and be brave, and to want, to need, to hunger for adventures, to embrace change and chance and risk, so that we may breathe and know what it is to be free."

What do you think?

I'm also still trying to figure out what I want to do with my journaling, if I want to type it up as I go along writing it or if I want to upload the pages or if I want to just include certain parts. Any suggestions?

Ok, well that's all for now folks!!

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

My last blood drive....

When I was 16 it was on my bucket list to donate blood but I couldn't do it until my senior year in high school because of the under 18 height/weight requirements. I'm sure anyone who was there remembers how awful that blood drive was...

Fast forward almost two years and today I donated blood for the fifth time. It went off without a hitch because now I know exactly what I need to be a successful blood donor. Unfortunately, I won't be able to donate blood again until after I graduate from Sweet Briar. According to the Red Cross guidelines you have to wait 12 months after traveling outside the US/Canada. When my year for Burkina Faso is up, I'll already be in Spain. I'm kind of sad, because saving lives is awesome, and check out this cool shirt!

If you can donate blood, please do it! You might not like blood and needles (I sure don't) but people don't like dying either so....

I promise it is not that bad, as long as you know what's going on. If you have any questions, please ask me!

Also, 24 days until I leave, and I'm SO EXCITED!!

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

It's the final countdown....

It feels like just yesterday I was posting at the "6 months" mark and now we have ONE MONTH to go! I was a little nervous, but since spending most of the morning getting all my documents together I have gotten more and more excited. I'm starting to work on a packing list as we speak. It is interesting trying to balance school and planning this trip, but I guess that comes with the territory.

This is my to do list:
1. Get my anti-malarial (my mom is getting a prescription from my doctor at home today)
2. Buy a French phrase book (if only Spain colonized Africa...)
3. Make a million copies of everything
4. Contact my bank and tell them not to freeze my card
5. Enroll in the STEP program with the embassy
6. Do my preparation readings
7. Finish up research readings
8. Make a packing list and buy the things I don't already have

I'm nearly positive that isn't everything, but we shall see.

Any packing tips? I think I'm going to bring my backpack and my (smallish) suitcase, as it's only 2ish weeks.

Sheltering Wings Orphanage