#1

so. i'm not actually in cape town yet, but out of excitement and the desire to be overprepared, i created this blog. i created it mainly to document my experience abroad next semester, and to keep in touch with everyone and let my family and friends know what i'm doing. however, i feel like it looks weird that i have no entries yet, so i decided to write one quickly.

i had study abroad orientation yesterday, which was really helpful and informative. i learned a few things:
- i will not have a clothes dryer because virtually nobody in the country has one
- i have to pay for internet by how many "units" i use, so uploading pictures will be expensive
- if i carry around a water bottle i will be immediately pegged as an american
- i will have a maid who comes in to clean our flat (because almost everyone, regardless of class, has a maid) (!)

i'm extremely excited to go. i know that as it gets closer, i'll start to get anxious and scared, because right now i'm not actually comprehending what's going to happen... and so much of it is unknown right now. but, for now, i have to focus on studying for finals, which seems even more boring than usual given that this amazing experience is only a little over a month away.