Wow, I cannot believe that it is March! The clock I received at our Senior Party with a countdown to graduation sits on my bedside table, and I have kept a close eye on it the last 50 days or so. Upon returning to my apartment after Spring Break, I was surprised to see a number below 60 - in less than two months I will graduate from college. Unbelievable. I am so excited to finish but I am undeniably going to miss many people who will either remain here in Cedarville or move on in a different direction than me. AND, as you readers know, just a few weeks after graduation I will begin my trek to the African continent! I'm getting very excited.
Finally getting my support letters out has provoked excitement; my plans for Djibouti are actualizing, making them suddenly feel more official. I am also quite excited about this blog. I haven't exactly blogged for an audience before, so it'll be an interesting experience knowing that I've welcomed and given many others access to my thoughts. I hope this is a helpful tool in keeping you all up-to-date on my journey surrounding Djibouti.
For those who have not been able to converse with me about this internship, I thought it might be helpful and fair for me to type out some answers to questions that others have asked me. First of all, my interest in this country is, of course, it's location and population. I went to Jordan two summers ago and it was there that I first developed an interest in the Arab culture and in Islam as a whole. I grew up near Dearborn, Michigan and attended a high school with people from many different cultural backgrounds. I LOVED discussing different cultural and religious traditions with these friends of mine. And then at Cedarville University I have chosen a major in International Studies where I've furthered my education in these things. So I guess you could say that I have been intentional about learning from people of cultures and religions different than my own. My first overseas experience was in the Middle East among Muslims, and I found their way of life extremely intriguing. After that experience I thought that I could see myself pursuing more work among Muslim women and children in the future. I have been wanting to go to Africa, so I have only looked into African countries for my internship. Mostly, I desired to go to a Muslim African country and Djibouti is one of those countries. It is also one of the only countries in Africa that I have indirect connections. Thus, Djibouti!
I have also been asked about my fears and aspirations for this summer. I think my biggest fear at this point is actually related to the airports. I hate navigating through American airports and especially international ones. I feel so lost and anxious as I walk through them trying to get to my gate on time while making sure my bags are in the right place and I have done all that needs to be done before I depart. Add to my already anxiousness the international element and I am way intimidated. I hope Emily (the other student who will be interning with me in Djibouti) is more confident in airport navigation! I am also fearful of the heat. It is supposed to be near 130-degrees the entire time I am there. I assume that my body will adjust, but until then.... ahhh! I aspire to learn the culture well and adjust to it; I hope my cultural blunders are learning experiences. I aspire to be challenged by Djiboutians' way of life and be forced out of my comfort zone. I just hope that I will remain open to receiving from the people and the country.
If you have any other questions, I'd love to answer them. Don't hesitate to shoot me an email or leave a comment here with questions or thoughts. I look forward to interacting with you as I continue to prepare for this summer internship. Thank you for your desire to journey through this with me. I think this is going to be a great experience!
