I leave for Tanzania tomorrow! It’s only just now starting to sink in, and it may have something to do with my fully packed bags by the door and the malaria pill in my stomach. Posting this blog entry means that my pre-departure to-do list has been completed!
I really enjoyed making my taxon and methods lecture presentations. The process of putting together the slides allowed me to learn a lot about Tanzanian wildlife and landscapes, and it gave me an introduction to archaeology, a field I am largely unfamiliar with. I am excited to learn from one another, and I am especially jazzed to put my teacher hat on for a bit! The textbooks were also a huge help in giving me some background knowledge going in. I’ve learned a lot so far, but I know I’m about to learn so much more in the field. It feels like I’ve already had so much of an adventure with my Google search deep dives and my three-vaccines-in-one-day extravaganza, but I know the real adventure has yet to begin.
My favorite animal has always been the African elephant. I grew up watching nature documentaries, and instead of playing with dolls, I played with stuffed animals. My aunt gifted me my favorite stuffed animal when I was 4 years old. It was an elephant, and I named him Philip Johnny Bob after the stuffed elephant in Junie B. Jones, one of my favorite book series as a little kid. Every morning since, I have propped Philip Johnny Bob up against my pillow while putting various amounts of effort into making my bed. I am determined to squish him into my bag and take him where I never thought he would go!! I cannot express how thrilled I am to get the opportunity to see savanna wildlife in person, and I am so grateful for all of the doors that Rice has opened for me.
Philip Johnny Bob, the stuffed elephant that started it all
There is so much to gain from this trip (hopefully excluding any illnesses and including a Survivor audition tape if there’s time), and I’m ready to experience it all. I was born ready.
Wheels up in 32 hours!
