Let the Adventure Begin

5/29/11
2:20 EST
Louisville

Just like I have no idea how to mentally or emotionally prepare for this trip to Africa, I have no clue how to start my journal about it. Am I excited? Absolutely...but I don't know exactly what to be excited about really. I know the next two weeks will be phenomenal, eye-opening, disarming, and quite literally, awesome--but I don't know what I will be experiencing. So does that mean that I'm apprehensive? Eh, not really. I mean, I have felt those pangs of fear poking around every once and a while, but they seemed to be fueled more by uncertainty than an actual fear of anything. It is an interesting comparison from my last overseas trip.

In January 2010, I figured out every flight detail, three possible train routes to take once I was in Germany, and then three alternate plans for each route in case something went wrong. Needless to say, I was freaking out then. Just a little. Now in May/June 2011, uncertainty is nothing but a part of the adventures. The roll-with-the-punches demeanor that I have developed by somehow making my way around all of Europe has infiltrated every aspect of my life, and this trip is no exception. I am ready for the adventure, but in all reality, I am ill prepared. I guess this trip is much more structured than my Euroventure. My professor is meeting me in the Dar es Salaam airport when I touchdown around 10pm local time in Tanzania. From there, I will follow his instructions and meet up with the group. It will be quite the excursion from there on out.

Do I have a plan? Not really. I'm just letting the trip take its course, do its thing. I'm trying to focus on enjoying the journey, every step of the way. I enjoy flying, so instead of worrying every second until I touchdown about what I'm going to do once I land, I'm going to soak in the moment. The whole trip will be about absorbing all I can. Nothing but Tanzania will exist to me for 12 days. I am losing a whole day flying there, so my goal is to pack an extra day's worth of adventures (or more) into the time I have there. My thirst for adventure is always strong, but I feel it growing stronger with every mile that I get closer to Africa. I am about to enjoy the take-off from Louisville in this plane that was apparently intended for pygmies. I'm getting my adventure on. It seems to fit well.