I'm leavin' on a jet plane...

...and I'll be back June 12. Three months after I found out I was going to Africa this semester, it's now my last night in Seattle. It's only hit me in the last few days that I'm leaving home to go to the other side of the world; thinking it is one thing, feeling it is completely different. Also crazy to think that after 20 years of reading African animal books, collecting stuffed African animals, sketching African animals, decorating my room to be "African," and writing about African wildlife conservation, I am going to Africa TOMORROW. See? Dreams can come true.

Actually, though, I hardly have any idea what living in Africa will be like. I know that I'll be living in three month-long homestays, starting in a rural village, then moving to a small town, and finally in Gaborone (the capital, pronounced ha-buh-ROH-nay, goes by "Gabs" for short). During the last month of the program I'll be doing an independent research project, hopefully having something to do with wildlife conservation. Then, after my program in Botswana ends at the end of May, I'll be traveling solo through South Africa and Namibia for 2 weeks before flying home.

That's my semester in a nutshell, I guess. Whereas I'd usually be lugging two 50-pound suitcases back to school right about now, I've just about finished packing a small suitcase, duffel bag, and backpack. I won't really know whether I've overpacked at all til I see what everyone else on the program has brought, but I do know it's the lightest I've ever packed for 5 months.

We're getting a bright and early start tomorrow around 5 am. I've got a 7:30 flight to DC, and from there (after a 2-hr. layover) I have an 18-hr. flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. I get in there after 6 pm Monday, which I just realized is early morning over here - there's a 10-hr. time difference. I've booked a room at the Green Palms Guest House for Monday night, so if all goes according to plan they will send someone to pick me up at the airport (holding a sign with my name, which for some reason I think is hilarious. Maybe because it seems like that one Seinfeld episode where Jerry and George lie their way into a limo...). Then, back to the airport Tuesday morning for the hour-long flight to Gabs!

Given that I'll be starting the program out living in a rural village, it's unlikely that I'll be able to update my wonderful blog much in the next several weeks. I believe there's an orientation in Gabs before the home stay, so if I can I'll post my first impressions of Africa, but either way rest assured I'll update it when I can! Alright, I'm going to go run around the house some more, collecting things to pack last-minute. Signing out from Seattle, on my way to Africa!!!

My Address in Africa

For anyone who would like to send some snail mail to me over on the other side of the world, here is my mailing address abroad:

Alex Rudee
c/o Pitzer College in Botswana
Box 1482
Gaborone
Botswana

My program packet says regular airmail is reliable, and should get there in 7-10 days. Assuming I can get to a post office, anyone who sends me mail will get an African postcard back! Or, if real mail seems too daunting, send me emails or facebook messages - I'll check those whenever I have internet as well.

I can't believe I am leaving the country in 4 days! ...Read, I'd better start packing tonight. I'm sure there will be last-minute errands to run once I've figured out once I don't have.

One other exciting update: I reserved a room at a guest house in Johannesburg for next Monday, since I have an overnight layover there before flying up to Gaborone. So, I should have a place to stay after getting off my 18-hour flight across the Atlantic! Good news indeed.

Get ready, get set, Botswana!

I will be studying abroad for spring semester in Botswana. My plane going halfway across the world (10,099 miles, to be exact) departs one week from today. I've wanted to go to Africa, to see its amazing wildlife up close and experience the awe of standing on the endless savanna, since before I can remember. Now that I'm finally getting the chance to "live the dream," as they say, I hope to keep everyone back home up to date on my latest adventures. And so, I give you... my Africa blog!

For those of you who don't know, Botswana is a landlocked country in southern Africa (right above South Africa, gold on the map). Given that the northern part of the country - where most of the animals are - is above the Tropic of Capricorn, it tends to harbor a lot of tropical diseases. Getting deathly ill isn't really part of my itinerary, so I've had the pleasure of getting more shots than I know what to do with (my last of 3 rabies shots comes this week!) and a virtual medicine cabinet full of pills. One of the highlights of winter break, actually, was getting a mail-order bottle of Malarone (the #1 anti-malaria med) for $30 under insurance instead of dropping $200 on it at Walgreen's. And of course, I wouldn't really be protected from those nasty mosquitoes without a full range of anti-insect clothing, from socks to a safari hat, from Ex Officio. (That was my Hanukkah present, actually...) So I'm hoping that I've now accumulated formidable enough defenses against whatever bugs Africa tries to throw at me.

Aside from all that fun stuff, winter break has been nice and relaxing. A couple days ago we took a family road trip to Walla Walla to visit Whitman College, where my sister Talia now has her heart set on going to school next year. It did have a pretty impressive campus, but I knew I chose Claremont and its 70 degree winters for a reason. It started snowing on our way home, so I finally got a taste of real winter weather before leaving for Botswana, where its high temperatures are currently around 90.

Today extended family came over for brunch as an early 21st birthday celebration - one month exactly until the real event, but by that time I'll be in a rural African village. We had spinach frittata, pumpkin waffles, coffee cake and blackberry pie - yum. Also bloody maries, because you only turn 21 once, right? Or I guess twice in my case.