Preparation Jitters

I've basically been reading Dorian in Africa's blog for the past three days trying to figure out what being in Guinea might really, truly be like. I think I need to stop. Going in with any sort of expectations will just lead me to feel overconfident or disappointed, and at best I'll feel informed. I think it's just healthier for me to embrace the unknown without reading everyone elses' experiences. As my dad says "Stay curious". Curiosity is not something I've ever been lacking, so that shouldn't be hard. I'm going to take all the things I've read, file them in to "Things I Might Encounter" and leave them there. I don't want to have preconceived notions about what village life will be like, or how my cell service will be, or how much blogging I'll be able to do.

I finished Eat, Pray, Love today (Thanks, Steph!) after chipping away at it all semester, and I really like the attitude toward life that Liz gains in her travels. Finding balance, finding pleasure, finding connection in silence and solitude. I will seek to do those in this experience.

Right now, I don't feel very peaceful. My stomach feels unsettled often when I think about all the things I need to pack, when I debate the things I want to bring, when I think about the preparations that need to be done and the things I will miss while I'm gone.