I am currently only a few days away from embarking on the trip that I've not only been planning for a little over a year but also one that I have been waiting on since early childhood. My love for not only Africa but East Africa I can only assume stems from Disney's The Lion King. It seemed to only develop from there. After hearing how beautiful Swahili sounds I knew I wanted to learn it, and what better place than from where it started: Tanzania.
The preparation process is shaping up to be a bigger headache than expected. Like I've already stated, I've started this process over a year ago; my first step was to narrow down which program I'd like to use. I finally chose to go with Knowledge Exchange Institute (KEI) because of the excursions they included, the remarkable opportunity to take Swahili courses at the Kiswahili Institute and the director Eduard Mandell is extremely knowledgeable on Tanzania on the whole and the University of Dar Es Salaam in which I'll be attending. When looking for a specific program, I'd recommend to sit down and think about what you want and expect to get out of your study abroad experience and then find the match. My next step was vaccinations and a health check. I'm glad I did this process earlier because I learned that the Hepatitis A vaccination is actually a pair that must be done 6 months apart. I also chose to take the Typhoid pill instead of the shot because it last longer, one thing about the pill is you must be diligent in taking it correctly or else it would be no use. From here it was mainly the application and acceptance process. For my application I needed 12 passport size photos, after looking at Walgreens, CVS and other I started to realize this would get expensive. They all pretty much offered 2 passport photos for around $9 dollars, that's a whopping $57 for the same photo twelve times. So here is my excellent tip just ask the manager for some kind of break, the worst they can do is say no. When I asked I got the first pair for the normal $9 price than every pair after for fifty cents more! Talk about discount!
Well the application and acceptance process is followed by a long waiting period. Waiting for my malaria pills to come in by the 11months full, waiting for the invitation letter to apply for my visa, waiting for this or for that in which during this time I had a chance to learn a few things about what I'm getting myself into. So far what I'm excepting is to encounter warm and friendly people but to be aware of the traditional aspects in society.
It was all about waiting up until right now when it's crunch time and everything needs to be done and ready. Finally getting my invite from the university to apply for the visa started the ball rolling again. Plane tickets had to be purchased, visa obtained, pills to arrive, start packing and overall be ready to leave for a year.
The next and final process before departing is the dreaded packing. What all should I bring for 10 months away from all the familiarities including health care products to over-the-counter medications not to mention clothing. What I know is that I ultimately only want to bring one big suitcase and a carry-on because I don't want to lug around anymore than that. I've also decided to bring enough toiletries for my entire trip that way coming home I'll have more room in my suitcase for souvenirs. Other than that it will be light and modest clothing to adhere to the culture and weather in Tanzania.
Overall, I'm ecstatic to finally arrive and I'm very much looking forward to the next 11 months of my life. While I will miss things from home I know that I'll be returning soon enough and not to let that hold me back from experiencing all that there is to offer me.
The preparation process is shaping up to be a bigger headache than expected. Like I've already stated, I've started this process over a year ago; my first step was to narrow down which program I'd like to use. I finally chose to go with Knowledge Exchange Institute (KEI) because of the excursions they included, the remarkable opportunity to take Swahili courses at the Kiswahili Institute and the director Eduard Mandell is extremely knowledgeable on Tanzania on the whole and the University of Dar Es Salaam in which I'll be attending. When looking for a specific program, I'd recommend to sit down and think about what you want and expect to get out of your study abroad experience and then find the match. My next step was vaccinations and a health check. I'm glad I did this process earlier because I learned that the Hepatitis A vaccination is actually a pair that must be done 6 months apart. I also chose to take the Typhoid pill instead of the shot because it last longer, one thing about the pill is you must be diligent in taking it correctly or else it would be no use. From here it was mainly the application and acceptance process. For my application I needed 12 passport size photos, after looking at Walgreens, CVS and other I started to realize this would get expensive. They all pretty much offered 2 passport photos for around $9 dollars, that's a whopping $57 for the same photo twelve times. So here is my excellent tip just ask the manager for some kind of break, the worst they can do is say no. When I asked I got the first pair for the normal $9 price than every pair after for fifty cents more! Talk about discount!
Well the application and acceptance process is followed by a long waiting period. Waiting for my malaria pills to come in by the 11months full, waiting for the invitation letter to apply for my visa, waiting for this or for that in which during this time I had a chance to learn a few things about what I'm getting myself into. So far what I'm excepting is to encounter warm and friendly people but to be aware of the traditional aspects in society.
It was all about waiting up until right now when it's crunch time and everything needs to be done and ready. Finally getting my invite from the university to apply for the visa started the ball rolling again. Plane tickets had to be purchased, visa obtained, pills to arrive, start packing and overall be ready to leave for a year.
The next and final process before departing is the dreaded packing. What all should I bring for 10 months away from all the familiarities including health care products to over-the-counter medications not to mention clothing. What I know is that I ultimately only want to bring one big suitcase and a carry-on because I don't want to lug around anymore than that. I've also decided to bring enough toiletries for my entire trip that way coming home I'll have more room in my suitcase for souvenirs. Other than that it will be light and modest clothing to adhere to the culture and weather in Tanzania.
Overall, I'm ecstatic to finally arrive and I'm very much looking forward to the next 11 months of my life. While I will miss things from home I know that I'll be returning soon enough and not to let that hold me back from experiencing all that there is to offer me.
Hakuna Matata,
Kimberly
Kimberly
