My Departure!

Jambo!

My last day in the good ol’ USA is coming to a close. Tomorrow morning I leave for Tanzania, with a layover in Detroit and Amsterdam. It’s been tiresome packing my bags and checking my to do list, and I’m relieved to finally be leaving. I will arrive in Tanzania on the 30th, and have a day of introduction by my program before being put to work. There are internet cafes in Arusha, so I will be able to update my entries when I make it into the city. I will also be purchasing a cell phone, but money is a bit tight so I won’t be making many international calls.

I’ll let you know where I am staying and the details of my life as soon as I get situated. As many of you know, I will be in Tanzania for 50 days, and with the last week dedicated to climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. Though surely that will be one among many adventures. Until then I will be working in a school, but I will have a lot of free time to sightsee. When I arrive I’ll see what other opportunities there are for me to get involved in. I hope my activity and contribution in Arusha extends beyond the schools. I’m excited to have the time, the resources, and a new environment to learn and experience unfamiliar people and customs. What I anticipate the most is meeting interesting new characters, people who will alter my sense of Africa and life and who knows, maybe even myself. Those kinds of personal connections can only be created by emerging yourself in a culture long term, with the time to make friends and develop relationships.

Thank all of you so much for making this trip possible. I would not have been able to do it without all of your help, love and support. Its truly amazing to me how much my friends and family came through to create the almost unimaginable! I hope you are able to experience along with me, and feel that you’ve made a worthy investment.

Yours,

Ariel

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