Dream of Africa

I can't believe it.

I'm still, four hours later, kind of in a state of shock. I am, assuming I can thoroughly convince my mother that CIEE is reputable, going to Senegal. Dakar. Africa.

Amazing.

If all goes well, I'm going to Africa. This is a difficult concept to process.

When other kids dreamed of Britain and France, I dreamed of Africa. Egypt, Tunisia, Ghana, Nigeria, Namibia. Cairo to Algiers to Dakar to Kinshasa to Abidjan to Windhoek. I, must admit, for a long time, dreamed of a Lion King-style Africa, one with savannas everywhere and oddly shaped trees. Now, I dream of an Africa filled with diversity, cultural and religious diversity. I dream of quaint churches and roadside mosques, of highways, of savannas but also rainforest, of coastal plains. Now, if all goes well, I'm headed to a friendly West African land, filled with French and Wolof words.

I am so thankful for this scholarship. It's making Senegal possible for me, someone who, before today, could only dream of Africa.