I'm so glad you asked...

Since announcing my Africa plans I've had a lot of people ask me why I would want to do this. I think today, Thanksgiving Day, is a perfect day to answer that exact question.

Thanksgiving is a perfect time to remember all the things for which we have to be thankful. Some things I'm thankful for include my family and friends whom I love, having an education, and all the opportunities I've been given. As I look at all the things in my life that I have to be thankful for the need for me to give back gets bigger and bigger.

I feel compelled to serve in Africa because I have been blessed with such an amazing life and it is my duty to give back and pay it forward. I am a pretty lucky kid and I've had a pretty easy life compared to the majority of the people in the world. I've always known where all my meals were coming from and that I was going to eat, I've always had a bed to sleep in, I know my family is safe, and I am blessed to live in a great country like the United States of America. You might ask, "How could you go to Africa? It's so different from America." Believe me, I like running water and air conditioning as much as the next gal. I was worried the first time I went to a developing country, Honduras in 2006, but once I got there I was completely at ease. I knew that the amenities I had (outdoor showers and bathrooms, back of a pick-up truck for transportation, etc.) were the norm for everyone else in that region so I shouldn't expect anything different. I know that in Africa it's going to be hard to live without the internet, running water, and AC but I can do it if everyone else can do it. If most of the people in the world live like this for their entire lives then I can definitely live like them for at least two weeks.

Happy Thanksgiving!


Malawi fact of the day: Lilongwe is Malawi's capital.

Excited? Me too!

Welcome to my first posting! Join me as I chronicle my journey to Malawi, Africa. Throughout the next seven months I will be busy fundraising, getting vaccinations, renewing my passport, researching, and oh yeah...being a full-time college student.

As I move along in my journey, so will you. Stay tuned to my postings to be informed about what's going on in Malawi, what's going on with me, my progress, and how you can help me.

I need your feedback and encourage comments.