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.