This blog is meant as a simple, periodic, newsletter-type
report to tell friends, loved-ones, and curious strangers about my study abroad
trip at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa and to help me document this (hopefully)
remarkable experience. It is my hope that this blog will eventually serve as a
travel journal for my future excursions, as well. Though, after 5 months
studying in South Africa, I might be ready to be home for a while. Maybe.
All my life I have been curious about the world – a passion
that probably comes from my wonderful grandparents who have traveled near and
far, always sending postcards as tiny tastes of their adventures abroad. I can
still remember looking at the 3-D maps that adorned the walls of the steps to
their basement, running my fingers over the bumps and dips of foreign lands. I
was always bad at geography (it took me an inordinately long time to figure out
the names of the continents and oceans I am sad to say) but, nomad that I am I
have always wanted to travel to new places (even if I didn’t know their names).
The other idea behind this wanderlust blog sort of comes
from a travel wish-list I first encountered in the movie The Prince & Me
(I’m sure this idea originated someplace else, my grandparents probably even
did it, but I first saw it in this ridiculous chick flick so…tada) Julia
Styles’ character, Paige, has extreme aspirations to travel the globe making a
difference and become a woman of the world. In her bedroom, she has a world map
riddled with colored pins; One color designates places she’s been, and the
other indicates places she wants to go. In the past few years, I have been
fortunate enough to accumulate several Places-I’ve-Been pins, which, of course,
engendered a burgeoning of Oh-My-God-I-Wanna-Go-There-Now-Aaaagh pins. The
beginning of this blog marks the celebration of a OMGIWGTNA pin graduating to
PIB pin status. How exciting for you all, really, to witness such an event. You
must be very proud.
Anyway, the good the bad the beautiful and ugly will all be
coming at ya right here (when my time allows…I do have to go to classes). Disclaimer:
Please do keep in mind that this is totally 100% my experience. I am pleased as
punch to share my anecdotes/advice with you guys, but keep in mind it’s only my
perspective, flavored with my biases and my limited background. Nearly all of
the other international students here with me are having different experiences
through different lenses and maintaining blogs as well. I encourage you to
check those out as well. I will try and get links posted to them ASAP.
Enjoy reading. Go well J
P.S. Friends and Loved Ones. When I repeat these same
stories to you in person, please react as though you’ve never heard them. Laugh
when appropriate. Thanks!
Yup. Probably going to live vicariously through you.
ReplyDelete...And maybe stalk you... A lot--I mean a little. <3
I, of course, mean that in the most endearing way.
Can't wait to read more!