Paige is super excited

As the takeoff day is getting closer I find I cannot contain my excitement any longer. Every conversation I have at dinner or at work is about my trip—I feel like I almost talk about it too much but my family always reassures me that I’m not and that I should be excited for this and shouldn’t feel bad about that. I realize that a lot of my relatives had not heard of apartheid and the racial segregation in South Africa. I am thankful for the pre-departure course because I learned so much about these subjects and can now explain it to my family and friends. When I do, they seem to appreciate my trip even more and understand that I will be doing a lot more than going on safaris and walking pretty beaches. I’m also really thankful for the course because it has prepared me to arrive in a completely different culture. Actually I shouldn’t say I’m fully prepared—I don’t think anyone could be completely ready for this, but it has definitely given me a great start! I believe its really important to learn about the culture of the place you’ll be traveling to so that you can converse with the people who live there and adjust better, which is why I really valued the information I gained from the pre-departure course. I know I will continue to learn each and every day that I am in South Africa and I am super excited to do so. Less than a week till we leave!!!