Tonight at the meeting we discussed travel plans, vaccinations, what to pack, and the basics of what we will be doing. And, of course, FUNDRAISING! And boy, do we have to do some fundraising. But it is okay, I have an awesome support system that will be with me every step of the way.
I also learned that I have to get like 10 shots. I will be calling my doctor tomorrow to see how I go about getting those. Yikes! I hate shots!
We watched a heart-breaking video about children orphaned in Tanzania. It is so sad to see the grandparents trying to raise 10 kids on their own after their own children died of AIDS, or infection caused by HIV. I will try to find the video and share it with all of you. It is truly a look inside what we will be doing, and how important our work is over there.
I want everyone to know though, we will not be pushing our own ideas on the people over there! We will incorporate their own ideas and beliefs, and not preach the "American Way." The only mark we will leave will be in the hearts of the people we go there to teach, we will not leave anything behind but our knowledge of this disease and the creativity and strength we give to others.
I also met mostly everyone in the group tonight. They all seem totally cool, and I am so excited to get to know them a little more. I am putting together a PR package for everyone to have so they can use it to pitch to potential donors. People seem pretty excited about that, too!
Kat says we will all become a family while we are out there, and I don't doubt it. Although it is a little nerve racking to be getting culture shock for 4 weeks, it is really encouraging that other people my age will be my new family, and we can share these experiences together.
Our Tanzanian teaching partners will be with us every second, and they will be our rock while we are out there. I am definitely looking forward to meeting them and sharing our lives.
I am a little worried about packing. I dont know what to bring, and eventhough we were given a list, I dont want to over pack, or worse, underpack! (I did make it a week in Italy carrying only a small backpack though, so I'm not too worried about underpacking.)
Mary and I are talking about flying standby so we can save a little money. She knows people in London who can harbor us for a few days, so we might stay there a night or two. And Kat says that in Tanzania, hostels are about $3 US a night, and you can live off $10 a day. So who knows if we will travel around Africa a little more when we are there. She reccommends taking a group safari which I am totally stoked for.
Tomorrow I will continue my fundraising efforts and contact my doctor to get all the medical information. My passport doesn't expire till 2017, so I don't have to worry about that!
If you or anyone you know would like to donate, please don't hesitate to contact me. Also, if you want to chat about what I am doing, I would be happy to share it with you!: slarsonm@asu.edu.
Thanks for following, and all your support!
-Selena
aka Iron Arm
(I will have to be with all those shots!)
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