Finally!

The day I've been waiting for is finally here...I'm in Senegal!

Before I got here though, it was quite the experience, I felt like the world was working against me..Target was out of bug spray and skirts, couldn't find my plug adapters or computer cds, and sleep was definitely in short supply! Then I got up early Saturday morning and my flight from MSP to New York was delayed because first we didn't have a plane and then we didn't have food on the plane. Eventually we made it to New York, I sat by a very nice lady on the flight and met a very nice guy getting off the flight who also happened to be going to Senegal. Thank goodness! We made our way through JFK, found our gate, then got moved to a different gate, then had an almost 3 hour delay on leave time and then still didn't leave for another hour and a half after that! Whew.

But I finally made it here. Flying in was amazing. Dakar is on a peninsula, the farthest western most point of continental Africa. The view was spectacular as the sun was rising. We got off the plane, into the humidity onto the tarmac. In the airport, there was just a cat wandering around. We met some staff people from SIT and then sat on a bus for awhile. So many people waiting outside the airport! Then met some more SIT students, took a little drive from the airport to the hotel where we are staying at the next few days for orientation. Laying down never felt so good! We ate some food and talked some and then the majority of us went for a little walk. The ocean is just marvelous! and its only a few blocks from the hotel we are at currently. We're taking a little snooze break now and then having some lunch and later watching a big football (soccer) game!

I smell, I remember what sweating is like again. I have sand in between my toes and my eyelashes. And I couldn't be happier!

All the students in our group seem pretty laid back and open minded (I mean you'd have to be on a trip like this!) We're from pretty much all over the US - Penn, Cali, Oregon, Alabama, and there's even two of us from MN! I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone in the next few months!