Before: The Adventure Awaits
There are so many different thoughts that cross my mind at this point. For me, this unknown void into which I am about embark contains a variety of mixed emotions for me: joy, excitement, fear, anxiety, anticipation, the list goes on. In an effort to refrain from setting too many or too lofty expectations and to remain open-minded, my mind races at all of the millions of possible directions that this grand adventure will go. Up until recently, never in a million years did I imagine that I, suburban Britt would be travelling all the way to a small village in Africa. I feel so incredibly blessed to have this opportunity, but I am still in utter shock that I will be embarking on this journey of a lifetime.
I am so grateful for this unique opportunity to participate in Global Fellows at such an opportune time in my life. I feel like this opportunity is coming at just the right time in my personal journey of self-discovery. I have spent a lot of this past year growing up, and leaning into the person I want to become and imagine myself as in the future. Therefore, I feel as though volunteering and working at my placement, Starfish International, an educational program that seeks to empower the Gambian girl-child through an education, will be the perfect opportunity to learn more about the woman and social justice advocate that I know I am, and to further develop into the person I am meant to be. I am absolutely sure that know that while here, I will undergo a significant amount of personal growth. However, like any sort of growth, I know that the process of meeting myself where I am at and further discovering my strengths and limitations will certainly have its challenges and not always be easy.
A classic worrywart, I’m definitely worried about a lot of things. Mainly, I worry that the adjustment to climate and different way life here will keep me from fully being present to the experience at hand. I want to fully give of myself to the girls and have the best experience as possible by always giving and doing my best. I look forward to the connections I will make with girls and the classes we have where I am fully present and am assured that The Gambia is exactly where I am supposed to be.
I hope that through this placement, I am able to truly learn about the realities of the Gambian girl-child, and to experience what being a woman in a context vastly different than my own is like. I hope that this placement will teach me more about my sisters around the world, about what it means to struggle, to live, and to truly be human.
I am so excited to embark on this journey of a lifetime and to connect with individuals I know will inspire me for the rest of life.
Peace and love! See you soon!
