Preparing for a semester across the Atlantic would be a cause for both excitement and nervousness regardless of which country I'd chosen. That I'm going to Senegal, in Western Africa, makes this all the more true. My parents would have been worried about their youngest child going this distance even without the risks of visiting an underdeveloped country, or the risks of a certain well-publicized outbreak being in the approximate region of my destination.
But the risk of ebola and general exposure of being in Sub-Saharan Africa is not what has been preying at my mind. No, what I find myself most concerned with is what kind of knowledge I'll be bringing back in December. Hopefully, it will be the knowledge that yes, I can function and flourish in a country and culture dramatically different than my own, and in addition, a better knowledge of what exactly development means to those whose countries are the focus of this area of study.
My worries at this moment in time, just 13 days before I depart, are concerned with my ability to acclimate to the culture there. Will I be able to communicate with my family? Will I be able to find my way around the city? And, as a proven introvert, will I be able to fully experience life in Dakar without clamming up?
I know these worries can only be answered in time, and I am striving to stay optimistic as I compile and endless-seeming checklist. But whether or not this experience is one I'll want to repeat, I know that it will most definitely be enlightening.
