And I'm off...

Saturday is the day! I'll be flying out of Charlotte at the crack of dawn and my flight arrives in Bloemfontein at 4pm Sunday, June 2nd. I'll let you do the math on that flight time keeping in mind the six hour time difference. Feelings of nervousness, thrill, and eagerness consume me at the moment (and maybe the thought of how much coffee I can strategically consume to keep me going at 5:30AM tomorrow).

So, what will I be doing in South Africa? Another Appalachian State University (ASU) student and I will participate in a 4-week Sports Medicine Internship program at University of the Free State in the city of Bloemfontein that was coordinated by the Honors College at ASU. Located between Johannesburg and Cape Town, it is not necessarily close to either. Unfortunately, at an elevation of 3000+ feet, I will be headed back into an ASU, or "Boone-worthy", winter season. Seeing as I have yet to acquire any sun this summer, I'm hoping to fit right in. The itinerary could/will most likely involve shadowing physiotherapists, working with athletic trainers for local and professional sports teams (men's field hockey & rugby anyone?), observing motor development skills testing in local schools, and exposure to research, classes and other university events. For those of you who do not know, I am planning to pursue a Doctorate of Physical Therapy upon graduation from ASU next May, so this trip is right up my alley! Through many failed attempts at learning the correct pronunciation of basic Afrikaans vocabulary, I am very thankful that almost everyone at the University can speak English. Needless to say, I hope to gain a better knowledge of the language and the South African culture itself.

If you think you'd like to hear about South African adventures from the perspective of a 20-something year old NC native, then feel free to check back as I hope to post a couple times each week. Thanks in advance for your patience and sending good thoughts my way.

Less than two weeks!

Unpacking from my third year of undergrad, repacking for the South African adventure that awaits, and testing out this whole new blogging world. Cannot believe I'll be back in "Boone-worthy" winter weather in less than two weeks when I have yet to get much sunshine (or color for that matter) of my own in the States. Keep in mind that I am not the most well-written, and the idea of a blog is a foreign one to me. Bear with me as I attempt to reflect on my experiences throughout the four weeks I'm in Bloemfontein. I could not be more excited, and I just know the days are going to fly by! Official countdown: 11 days