To those of you who do read it, I don't really know how to blog and I can't promise that I'll be updating it very frequently, so this might be a bit rough around the edges. I do, however, promise to try my very best. :)
That being said...I'll be leaving on Saturday, January 15th from Albany for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where I will stay until April 9th. I will be volunteering at an orphanage, working with the children and taking photographs. I'm not going to lie: right now I'm feeling rather apprehensive about going to Africa this Saturday. I'm not worried about being away from home, but I'm only human--I'm a bit intimidated by the unknown. I have an overwhelming list of errands to run and people to contact and things to do before I leave, and right now I honestly just want to go back to bed (to my credit, it is only 8:00 in the morning).
However, if I've learned anything...ever, it's that moping and being afraid doesn't mean anything and it isn't going to get me anywhere. I know that I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime, and that if I'm going to get anything out of it I have to suck it up, put my apprehension aside and go into it with a completely open mind and lots of honest curiosity. I know that I'm going to fall in love with the children I will be working with, and I want to learn everything I possibly can about the Ethiopian culture. Emma has told me multiple times that my pictures "Will change lives!!" and I plan on making that statement come true.
Next time I update this blog, I'll probably be writing from an internet cafe in Africa! That idea gives me a little shiver of excitement, and I plan on sharing as much as I can with you!
All my love!
Sophie
