sanibona!

So, here I am, with just over one week to go until I leave the US behind for South Africa. I'm a jumble of emotions right now-- anxious to get packed & get to SA, sad about leaving behind the people I love for a whole year... but luckily, I'm most of all excited to begin my volunteer year.
I have five days to go until I leave for New Jersey, where I'll have two days of orientation with my community members (Mary-Kate, Becca, and Meg), and then we leave for South Africa on Monday. Time has passed so quickly, and it's hard to believe that we'll be there so soon.


I'll be living and working in a region of South Africa called KwaZulu Natal, and the city closest to us is Durban, on South Africa's east coast. I'll be able to better describe my living situation after we arrive and get settled in, but for those who are curious, here's a map of my new home, with South Africa first and then KZN below (point A is where we'll be living):

And there it is. With subzero temperatures and snow in the forecast here outside Philadelphia today, I can say that I'm really looking forward to the southern hemisphere and summertime!
But for now, I'm surrounded by photographs, guidebooks, clothes, and sunscreen... and faced with the challenge of packing for an entire year in South Africa.