One.

It's unbelievable to me that at this time next week I will be in the airport waiting to board the plane.

Cape Town, South Africa

Now that Christmas is over, generalized panic has set in. With my brand new luggage ready to go (thank you Santa-parents) I know I should probably start getting everything I need to pack ready... but I can't seem to get past scrubs and sundresses. What more do I need for this trip... or life for that matter?

Anywho, I know I've said this before but even with everything we've been doing in preparation I don't think this will feel like real life until I am actually getting off the plane in Africa. I'm not even sure this will ever feel like real life but I do know that I have never been so excited for the experience that I am about to have and I know this will never be forgotten.

Two.

two weeks... oh my. Not too many updates this week but I thought it would be fitting to post something that includes the two most exciting things coming up... Christmas and Africa!!

a my personal favorite..
it's brought me to tears of excitement a couple of times this holiday season (you'll understand by the end)

Three.

The 3 week mark seems like a good time for first blog posts.

For those of you who don't know, I'm leaving on January 2nd to spend three weeks of my winter break in South Africa. Myself and 15 other Endicott-ers (beautifully pictures below) are going to be volunteering primarily at the Red Cross Children's Hospital, but also at Maitland Cottage and St. Joseph's Home. We're hoping that by spending some quality time with the children, playing games and working on different activities with them, we will be able to put some smiles on their faces.

This is the first year there has been a January Alternative Break (JAB for those of you who like sweet abbrevs.) and I am so happy to be a part of it. It has been quite the process from researching potential groups to work with (Connect-123... check them out) to fundraising. We had our last group meeting tonight which included a lot of pizza, a lot of talking, and a looong list of what everyone is going to pack!

the people i'll be having this amazing experience with.

As a final note for this first post, I really just want to thank EVERYONE who has made this trip happen. Just about a year ago I was buried in information about different groups and tracking down every faculty member on campus (sorry guys but it was worth it) who might be able to help me make this trip a reality and now I'm trying to figure out what the heck to pack.

It almost doesn't feel like real life yet... maybe once I get on the plane I'll actually believe it.