Traveling

 Traveling to South Africa was an effort in itself. We received our plane tickets just days before our scheduled departure date. The first left from Baltimore, which was convenient for the student who lived in Maryland. I, however, had to leave Richmond at 3 a.m. in order to arrive at the airport by 7 a.m. Navigating through the airport alone was pretty frustrating but went smoothly after I did curbside check-in and made my way through TSA security. We left Baltimore at 11 a.m., only to go to JFK airport to wait 4 hours for our next flight. While in New York, we sat and talked as a group which allowed me to warm up to the idea of living with my teammates for four weeks. Alex & I also took pictures while at the airport. The second flight left New York around 5 p.m. We arrived in Amsterdam around 6 a.m. We explored the airport and found an interactive game provided by McDonald's. The McDonald's in Amsterdam had croissants and other foreign add-ons. We waited until 10 a.m. to finally leave Amsterdam and head to Cape Town. This was the longest and most uncomfortable flight of my life. I had to sit between two strangers, inhibiting my sleep and overall comfort. I was still excited to travel to South Africa though.

While traveling, it didn't set in that I'd be visiting the continent of Africa for the second before the age of 20. This opportunity rare for African Americans due to limited education and a lack of financial freedom. While traveling, I consciously let go of all of my westernized norms and opened my perspective to another normal. This is essential when traveling to another country because a western perspective is limiting in many ways due to the ample amount of resources and opportunities that are present in American culture. The only thing I hoped for was a life-changing experience and safe water.