Happy Christmas: 7 days left.

I decided to run with the gut feeling that in these next seven days I won't have time to update again before I leave for Botswana, so I thought I'd just do a quick fill-in of travel preparations before everything speeds up a notch. :)

My first week home post-semester went by in a flurry, but I managed to get all Christmas presents purchased or made by 2 hours before we opened them. Next year I plan on taking the easy way out and giving gifts that I bought months before in Botswana. While most of my presents will probably be staying home (knitted gloves and hats and a six-pound radio among them), I got at least one that I am excited to bring along: the Lonely Planet Botswana-Namibia guidebook. I started reading through it last night, and I have to say that I got pretty excited. It was neat to see Gaborone on a map for the first time, all laid out, complete with a list of museums and sites to see. I also will bring a present I got for me: a C.S. Lewis collection called "The Joyful Christian", with 127 readings. I will be in Botswana 127 days, so I thought it quite fitting. It's crazy, part of me is so excited, and the other part can't believe I'm actually doing this! I've talked about it for so long, it's crazy that it's finally going to be a reality. But I suppose that part of me is excited, too.

Things are coming together, what with malaria pills for any out-of-city trips I might take, packing lists getting approved by the 'rents, and getting to see the majority of my cousins and a few friends from back home in such a small amount of time. I've a few more items to pick up before I go, clothespins and batteries chief among them. Packing will begin tomorrow, officially, and we'll see how good I am at packing for five months in one bag - so glad I don't have to worry about makeup and hairdryers and the like as so many other girls do. :) Simplicity in packing: that's the key! I've read all the tips, now this week it's time to see how I do putting them into action. 50 lb. luggage, here I come!

Introductions: 4 weeks

4 weeks from now I will be settling into my latest temporary home at the University of Botswana, recovering from jet lag, and perhaps realizing what I'm in for next semester.

Welcome to my blog. I don't anticipate posting much for the next few weeks, but I thought I ought to get this thing started so that it's more than a blank page.

Next semester I am studying abroad through ISEP at the University of Botswana in Botswana's capitol city, Gaborone. I fly out on 2 January, and I'll be there until I fly back to Chicago in the beginning of May.

It is on this blog that I will be generally cataloging my experiences over the four months or so that I spend there. This is my public blog, so do not fear: you won't get venting or sappy stories or other embarrassing personal stuff. And I'll try not to be too melancholy or overly reflective. I've got a personal blog for all that sort of content. No, this blog will be for the day-to-day, the new discoveries, the fun adventures, the general feelings toward school and classes, teachers and new acquaintances, public transportation and the weather. My intentions are to update at most once a week, and at the least every other week. I'll probably pick one day and roll with it. Expect semi-lengthy posts on events, happenings, cultural/lingual observations, etc. I'll try to keep them relatively short, but it'll depend on the subject matter - I don't want to sell you too short. :)

So, consider this your open invitation to subscribe to my study abroad blog - or to just check in every so often if you're not into "following" blogs. I know this is a little bit in the future, but I figured I'd better get these sorts of things taken care of before I'm in another world entirely - or at least another half of the world.

One thing you can definitely expect: a video tape of me flushing a clean toilet and watching it swirl the opposite direction while I hang out below the equator.

Happy reading!

~Jaclynn