The Adventure is About to Begin

In exactly 7 days and a few hours, a british airways flight leaves Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with Lauren E. Thiele, a passenger aboard, on it's way to London's Heathrow International Airport, where a second flight will take the same passenger to the final destination, Cape Town South Africa. The total flight time is about 22 hours and the total time for travel is around 27 hours.

It is weird for me to think that this trip that I have been planning for months (maybe years, I don't really remember) will begin in one week. I am going to South Africa to study at the University of Cape Town. I chose this specific place because I think that Africa doesn't really get a lot of press in terms of culture and the people who live there. It is really because I know little about South Africa that I thought it would be the perfect place. Though, I also thought that it fit into my career goals as a doctor becuase South Africa is the leader in Africa for HIV/AIDS prevention and has state of the art medical practices.

While I am in Africa, I will be taking 3 or 4 classes at the university. I am definetely cutting back though! (I want to be able to experience the culture and not be in my dorm room studying my trip away!) In addition, the program that I am with has arranged some trips for us on the weekends. I might go on some additional trips as well. I know for sure that I want to take a safari at some point and see the penguins. I also want to do some voluteering at a local medical institution. It would be great practice and a really different experience.

I hope I have answered some questions that you may have had about my plans and adventures to South Africa. I am only one person and I have many people who care about me, so I thought I would set up a blog so everyone can hear the latest. I will try to post a blog weekly or when something really cool happens so that I can keep in touch with everyone at home. I will definetely be in touch through e-mail as well so please do not hesitate to shoot me an e-mail. I would love to hear from each and every one of you.