9 September 2011
In less than six days I will be on my way to Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. As expected, my procrastination is starting to catch up with me and I’ve begun making comprehensive lists to ensure everything gets done before I go. I’m still waiting on packages, goodbye food-related gatherings, and my own motivation to complete my work.
Tomorrow I am devoting the whole day to packing after I unpack all the boxes and clothes from my last house. I have 50 pounds allotted to pack enough clothes, medicine, and supplies for 3 months in Africa. While that may sounds like a lot, I know from experience when packing for a trip half the time, it was extremely difficult for me to condense. Tomorrow will be likely the first time I will be making true attempts to not be overindulgent in the packing process.
Until next Wednesday I have a slew of meetings and appointments with friends and family. It’s funny how I want to ensure I see everyone before I go when I likely have gone more than 3 months without seeing them in the past. Thought processes really change when you have a set plan to be gone for an extended period of time. It will be so different, however, being in a foreign country with people I barely know so that certainly plays a big role in how I handle these goodbyes.
It’s interesting watching people’s responses to when I tell them I will be in Africa. To most people, Africa means seeing lions and elephants on the plains, or maybe visiting Egypt and the Pyramids. My African experience will be entirely unique from the location, to the studies, to the language I will (hopefully) be speaking. I am enthralled that a trip so special will be made even better by the unusualness of it.
For my trip I’d like to set a few goals for myself. They are likely very similar to the ones I set last summer in Costa Rica but they are worth trying and working at again.
•Speak and understand Spanish to a level where I am comfortable holding a (basic) conversation with someone
•Take at least one photograph everyday and document which is the “one-a-day” shot
•Limit online time and sticking around the house
oI want to explore and gain as much authentic cultural experience as permitted
•Stop biting my nails…again
•Make some use of the books I lugged across the Atlantic Ocean
•Make sure my Co-Op position is in order before the end of September
None of those sound too difficult provided I keep myself organized and motivated! I’ll see soon I suppose… The photo is a screenshot of my attempts to stay organized before I go.
