By lrich522
This is a question I have received A LOT since making the decision to study abroad in Dakar, especially within the last couple of weeks as I prepared for my departure. I have noticed that the answer I give to this question varies depending on who is asking. My close friends and family tended to ask why I chose to study abroad in Senegal with genuine curiosity. They wanted to learn more about what went into making this decision, and to hear about the kind of experiences that I could have.
HOWEVER, the majority of reactions I received usually followed the same predictable dialogue consisting of, “Where is that?” to which I would say “West Africa,” which usually produced a contemptuous tone when they would proceed to ask, “why??” coupled with a face that bordered somewhere between confusion, judgment, shock, and distaste, along with the occasional offensive comment.
While most reactions were not that extreme, a common thread and I think the worst part of these interactions has been seeing the immediate reactionary facial expressions to the word, “Africa”. My friends at GW were pretty much all so supportive and inquisitive, that when I came home for winter break the blatant racism that I sometimes saw from my coworkers and complete strangers directed towards an entire continent was shocking. I hope to be able to know how to react better to these comments upon my return.
As for right now, I am currently sitting in the airport waiting to board the plane, and I already feel more comfortable being surrounded by some of the other students on my program who I know have had to navigate through some similar conversations. Truthfully, I am still trying to fully wrap my head around why I chose Senegal. Of course the opportunity to speak French, study development, and live near the beach were all appealing ideas to me, but the actual decision to live in Dakar for four months (when I have barely traveled internationally, let alone to sub Saharan Africa) was very involved.
While I love GW and I love (most) of the classes I take, my junior year has been characterized by a growing resentment towards studying international development from a fancy classroom in Foggy Bottom. Not that there has to be anything wrong with studying development in D.C., but I have been struggling with the task of determining my place in the subject. There is always a lot of pressure that goes with studying abroad to have the quintessential, instagram shattering experience, which will inevitably be the best time of your life (!!!), and that pressure is only made exponentially more daunting considering these four months will probably alter my opinions, aspirations, and career options. I look forward (and am slightly terrified) to see how my answer to the question, “Why Senegal?” evolves during my stay.