Leaving...today!

Hi everyone!

For those who don't know, next Thursday I am off to Kenya where I will spend 3 months teaching at a local school. I will be teaching all subjects (math, science, english...) and be teaching kids in all grades. This will be my fifth work term (although it won't count for coop credit unless I do some kind of engineering work- but I only need 5/6 coops in order to graduate on time).

When I tell people how I'm spending my winter, the first question I hear is "why?" My interest in international development was sparked very young...I was recently reading a journal from when I was in grade 5 and my career goals were “to teach in underprivileged countries and write about my experiences.”

Then, when I was in grade 12 I went on a mission trip to Nicaragua with my high school. We painted a school and it was a really amazing experience. Though it was a short trip, it further solidified my interest in helping developing countries and ever since, I have wanted to do more.

But, since starting university I haven't done much that was aligned with that goal, so through this trip, I will be fulfilling a dream that I have had for a long time, and who knows what I will discover?

I recognize that 3 months isn't long enough to really change the world or anything, but I'm hoping to form some meaningful connections and if I can even help one person, I will consider this trip a huge success.

My flight leaves in 6.5 hours and I should be arriving Saturday morning at 7:00am their time. I'm so excited!!

Cheers,
Lisa