On the plane!

We are on the plane to South Africa, and I’m SO excited!  It’s still completely surreal though.  Right now I’m just sitting here reflecting on this incredible blessing.  I never in a million years could have predicted when I was younger that I would be doing this.  I plan to take full advantage of these four months.  I want to fully immerse myself in the local cultures, meet as many people as possible and have meaningful interactions, learn about the incredible and complex history of the country, and come to a deeper and fuller understanding of myself and my place in the world.  I feel called to impact the lives of those who are struggling and feel that no one is there for support them, but it’s hard for me to figure out the best way for me to do that.  Hopefully I will gain a better sense of this with a new peace of mind in such a beautiful country.  The reality hasn’t hit me yet that I will be living in such an incredible place, so I can’t wait to land and soak it all in.