Before I leave

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Thought I should write a "before" blog, might make things more interesting.

I guess I'll introduce myself. My name is Lisa Grisafe. I'm 21 years old. I'm a senior in college, nursing student, liberal, travel loving, tattooed ( only a few), freckled, scared of dolls and deep water, Irish-Italian American woman and the list goes on. I leave tomorrow on the most liberating trip I have and may ever take. I'm off to Kenya for the summer to volunteer/ intern in a clinic in Kibera, Kenya, the second largest slum in sub Sahara Africa. Why, you ask?

Well pull up a chair, get comfortable and let me tell you why.

First of all, I have always wanted to go to Africa. Ever since my childhood, watching the Lion King, visiting the Brookfield Zoo exhibits that were African themed, learning about Darfur and constantly day dreaming of saving the world.
What began as a daydream turned into an ambition as I got older. I've always loved volunteering; in the soup kitchen, at a local fair, doing laundry for the homeless, raking leaves, in a nursing home- I love it all. In high school, I figured I would join the Peace Corp after college sometime and maybe then I would be able to make it to Africa. Maybe.
Then in my senior year of high school, I saw the movie Blood Diamond. If you can say a movie changed your life, that's one movie that moved me to more than tears. If you haven't seen it, watch it. But maybe after I return home, because I don't need additional images in your head while I'm gone.
After that, I knew Africa was just calling to me. I also realized my other calling; I want to be a nurse. I've always been interested in medicine, because I was in the hospital all the time when I was little, and I love helping people. It only made sense. So I got accepted into the nursing program at Saint Xavier University, and in between studying, which is 95% of my life, I was looking into the possibilities of me ever going to Africa.
And then a few months ago, I saw my opportunity. It's assumed that the summer before your last year in nursing school, you apply for an internship. Most students choose local hospitals, but I was thinking bigger. I was hoping for a travel buddy, and figured Africa was still out of reach so I looked into internships abroad in countries closer to the United States. Time went by, and I couldn't decide on a country and nobody was going to come with, so I took a deep breath and clicked on the Kenya internship. I quickly applied without thinking anymore and for the next few days awaited the reply. Almost 48 hrs later, I saw an email in my inbox titled Letter of Acceptance. I instantly burst into tears, and called my roommate screaming. This is it. I'm really going to Africa.

After all the paperwork, the vaccinations, the payments (this is not a paid internship- all costs are mine), the tears, the long hours at work to pay the bills, the struggles, the week I have been waiting my entire life for is here.

I'm going to Africa. I'm going to help wherever I can, and most importantly, I'm fulfilling a dream, a dream I never in a million years thought I would accomplish, and so soon.

I'm more emotional than I ever thought I would be, and I haven't even left yet. It's going to be more difficult and different than anything I have ever done. And I'm doing it alone, but I'm doing it.

I have a theory about being on your own. You're a better person when you're out of your comfort zone and you don't know anyone. At least I am. I'm a better person when I'm on my own. You have to make friends to make it, and that's something I'm good at.

So maybe you still don't understand why I'm going, but that's okay. I understand, and I know it's what I want to do because that little voice in my head is screaming and dancing all over the place.

So wish me good luck and I'll be on the other side of the world next time I write.



P.S. A major thanks to my Mom, for whom none of this would be possible. and the rest of my family, friends. I'll miss you guys this summer, good luck having fun without me....just kidding. 1/2?

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Photos

Kenya Fundraiser
Me at my Fundraiser for Kenya

Comments

[irish317]

My baby girl
I am so proud of you. I will try not to cry everyday. Please stay safe, make wise decisions. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. .....Mom