Botswana Here I Come

Six months ago I could barely tell you where Botswana was on a map, and now I am about to spend the next six months living in the Kalahari Desert, with heat I can not yet imagine, while studying at the University of Botswana. The African desert will be quite a change from my coastal California upbringing and the snowy winters I get while at school, the University of Denver.

Each time I answer the question, “Where will you be studying abroad?” I get a wide range of reactions: a blank stare from someone who has not a clue where Botswana is or a loud obnoxious gasp followed by the assumption that I will be tracking big game or “hanging out with Simba” from the Lion King (not opposed!. When deciding where I wanted to study abroad I knew I wanted an experience completely unlike anything I had ever had done before but also one that allowed me to connect and build relationships with local students. I hope to come back feeling a real connection with Botswana and having a new kind of confidence in myself that can only be gained by traveling and living for an extended amount of time in a completely foreign region where I don’t know anyone in the country, let alone on the entire continent!

Colorado to Cape Town: 36 Days

After a whirlwind finals week at the University of Denver, my (short) summer has finally begun. Throughout the chaos of papers, projects, exams, and packing, it was easy for me to forget about the adventure in Cape Town that soon awaits me. However, somewhere during the “see-you-in-January-goodbyes”, reality started to sink in and I was reminded about the trip that will commence in just 36 days. Between the looming what-if questions that are unavoidable for nearly any student planning to go abroad and my Type-A personality, I’m anxious to be in Cape Town simply so I can stop stressing about the pre-trip nerves and tasks.