NAIROBI, Kenya - For most AU students, fall back-to-school time means buying dorm or apartment furnishings and replenishing their supplies of notebooks and pens. It means becoming reacquainted with the District, visiting the Eagle's Nest and spending time with friends, new and old.
For me, the past two autumns have been times for goodbyes, acquiring visas and making sure everything I need is neatly packed in suitcases that collectively weigh 100 pounds or less.
A year ago, nearly to the day, I arrived in Krakow, Poland, to begin an adventure filled with seven consonant one vowel words and lots of cabbage. Just a few hours ago, I landed in Nairobi, Kenya, and I have yet to find out what this adventure will bring.
While I feel more prepared and seem to be at least somewhat more travel savvy, these two journeys are drastically different.
Staying under the weight limit for luggage was complicated when traveling to Krakow - bulky winter clothes were an absolute necessity, as were warm shoes, lots of scarves and thick socks.
This time, there was no problem staying under the weight limit - clothes for a country that lies on the equator are much lighter - despite my heavy, semester-long supplies of bug spray, sunscreen and carry-ons weighed down by necessary medications for malaria and traveler's diarrhea.
Stepping off the plane was an entirely different experience as well. Unlike in Poland, I was greeted by plenty of English and a large airport filled with colorful signs inscribed with familiar words, not to mention a much larger contingent of fellow AU students.
While it's clear that I will continue to experience new and exciting things throughout my stay here in Africa, for now, I know very little about what my semester will bring. Orientation begins soon, and then I should have a better idea of what issues I'll face while studying here.
But one thing is certain: I would not feel so comfortable in my ignorance without the ambiguity I faced in past travels. My previous time abroad has prepared me to face challenges that would have seemed insurmountable just one short year ago.
