Destination: Cape Town

In two months, I will be in Cape Town… I never thought I would ever get a chance to travel to Africa – a destination that seems so distant, mysterious and unattainable for a girl who grew up in a small town in South Carolina and now at small college in Maine. Yet, through the wonderful opportunity of ‘study abroad,’ I will be in Africa in July. Saying I am excited would be an understatement. I think about Cape Town every day, filled with anticipation for a new experience, destination and culture. Of course, I would be lying if I said I was not nervous. How could I not be? I will be in a different continent for five months, forced to step out of my comfort zone. I am having déjà vu from the summer before my freshman year of college. I ask myself the same questions: Will I connect with my peers and make lasting friendships? Will I fit in at the university? Will I be able to handle my course load? But I try not to worry too much and I tell myself that everything will work out in the end. If I can succeed at my college in Maine, hopefully I can succeed in South Africa. But something tells me South Africa is slightly different from Maine…