One Year Later and a Different Continent
It's hard to think that's it's been almost exactly one year since I last used my blog. Since starting grad school and traveling a lot in the past year, I have found a suprising lack of time for self-reflection. During the two enormous blizzards that invaded DC this past winter, I mainly just withdrew into a cave of baking and watching movies. It wasn't the best way to spend my time but it sure felt good to give in to being holed up for a while.
I have, since my last posting, traveled to Colorado twice, North Carolina twice, Charlottesville twice, Hawaii once, and Williamsburg, VA three times. I think that's it. Knowing that this is my last year before starting my "career" as it relates to my graduate degree is making me very conscious of my need to travel and exploiting the flexibility I have these days. That said, I should mention that as I write this, I am currently on a plane to Atlanta, leg one of two, where my final destination will be Johannesburg, South Africa. I decided that for my last real summer possibly ever, I needed to go big. So I am on my way to witness the largest sporting event in the World, the World Cup. I will be representing my country, my high school (represented by a player on the US national team) and my university. I also find it hard to believe that this is all actually happening. I think it will feel real when I arrive at OR Tambo international airport and all those warnings about baggage theft and people trying to kidnap you come flooding into my new reality.
I should have written before this. I know that I had things to say, things to process, great concerts that I needed to gush about, but for some reason, I just kept thinking I'll pick it up when I go to South Africa. That's when I'll have all the exciting stuff to talk about and share with people. And it's true, this trip checks item after item off my bucket list. Victoria Falls, World Cup, world famous Stellenbosch wine region, Cape of Good Hope, Table Mountain, the meeting place of two oceans, the Zambezi river, going on safari, and probably more. But aside from its touristic appeal, I do have legitimate academic purpose to be doing this. I will be working at the University of the Witswatersrand (white water ridge in Dutch, namesake for the currency of South Africa as well as the region where most of the gold is found) as an intern in their International Office, helping them prepare for the international education conference they are hosting at the end of August.
The series of events that led to this happening is long and I am unclear on the exact path. Suffice it to say that I had a wonderful internship this past semester at ACE, supportive faculty at GW, adventurous friends from college, and a boyfriend as interested in seeing new places as I am. So now, here I am, two hours into a six-week journey, on a freeeeeezing cold airplane to Atlanta, and then on to Jozi on the longest flight I will have ever taken. I look forward with confidence, excitement, an open mind, a grateful heart, and not an insignificant amount of fear for what awaits me academically, personally, and spiritually.
Movie's I watched on the plane before the drugs kicked in:
The Last Station - makes me want to read Tolstoy.
It Might Get Loud - hands down the best music documentary I have ever watched. Highlights: Edge plays early demos of his guitar tracks from "Streets" and there is concert footage and he explains how his guitar is his voice. There's also footage of Bono playing the bands 'unreleased outside if Ireland' terrible 80's music and they're all wearing silver pants with 80's fros. Jimmy Page plays riffs from Ramble On in his London flat. All three dudes talk about how they view music and wax philosophical about the creating of music. I could listen to them forever basically. Jack White makes an electric guitar out of a couple of boards, some wire, a coke bottle and a few nails. Highly recommended.
I have, since my last posting, traveled to Colorado twice, North Carolina twice, Charlottesville twice, Hawaii once, and Williamsburg, VA three times. I think that's it. Knowing that this is my last year before starting my "career" as it relates to my graduate degree is making me very conscious of my need to travel and exploiting the flexibility I have these days. That said, I should mention that as I write this, I am currently on a plane to Atlanta, leg one of two, where my final destination will be Johannesburg, South Africa. I decided that for my last real summer possibly ever, I needed to go big. So I am on my way to witness the largest sporting event in the World, the World Cup. I will be representing my country, my high school (represented by a player on the US national team) and my university. I also find it hard to believe that this is all actually happening. I think it will feel real when I arrive at OR Tambo international airport and all those warnings about baggage theft and people trying to kidnap you come flooding into my new reality.
I should have written before this. I know that I had things to say, things to process, great concerts that I needed to gush about, but for some reason, I just kept thinking I'll pick it up when I go to South Africa. That's when I'll have all the exciting stuff to talk about and share with people. And it's true, this trip checks item after item off my bucket list. Victoria Falls, World Cup, world famous Stellenbosch wine region, Cape of Good Hope, Table Mountain, the meeting place of two oceans, the Zambezi river, going on safari, and probably more. But aside from its touristic appeal, I do have legitimate academic purpose to be doing this. I will be working at the University of the Witswatersrand (white water ridge in Dutch, namesake for the currency of South Africa as well as the region where most of the gold is found) as an intern in their International Office, helping them prepare for the international education conference they are hosting at the end of August.
The series of events that led to this happening is long and I am unclear on the exact path. Suffice it to say that I had a wonderful internship this past semester at ACE, supportive faculty at GW, adventurous friends from college, and a boyfriend as interested in seeing new places as I am. So now, here I am, two hours into a six-week journey, on a freeeeeezing cold airplane to Atlanta, and then on to Jozi on the longest flight I will have ever taken. I look forward with confidence, excitement, an open mind, a grateful heart, and not an insignificant amount of fear for what awaits me academically, personally, and spiritually.
Movie's I watched on the plane before the drugs kicked in:
The Last Station - makes me want to read Tolstoy.
It Might Get Loud - hands down the best music documentary I have ever watched. Highlights: Edge plays early demos of his guitar tracks from "Streets" and there is concert footage and he explains how his guitar is his voice. There's also footage of Bono playing the bands 'unreleased outside if Ireland' terrible 80's music and they're all wearing silver pants with 80's fros. Jimmy Page plays riffs from Ramble On in his London flat. All three dudes talk about how they view music and wax philosophical about the creating of music. I could listen to them forever basically. Jack White makes an electric guitar out of a couple of boards, some wire, a coke bottle and a few nails. Highly recommended.
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