I wasn’t sure what to expect when I received my acceptance letter to Global Citizen Year. Many thoughts flew through my head as I peeled the adhesive-bound envelope open to take a look at the next 10 months of my life. Thoughts such as “am I ready for this kind of commitment?” and “can I rely on myself to live outside of my own community?” sped by. However, after reading the envelope there was one idea that stood out among the others: “Now that it has happened, you HAVE to do it.” I knew that I needed to do something different from the moment I entered my senior year. After a school year of twists and turns, it felt nice to have something planned out for my future. As Pre-Departure Training approached, most of my doubts and apprehensions surrounding the program slowly faded and my excitement grew. The beginning to this experience has truly shown me that I am someone who lives for the now. I don’t often plan ahead in the future, and that’s okay. While it may result in problems on occasion, there is definitely some sort of novelty that exists for a split-second decision to go to Senegal for eight months. So far, Pre-Departure Training has been something completely new to me. The diversity in our cohort is truly remarkable, and I’m sure that it will translate to many interesting stories at the end of my experience. Stay tuned for some of my own stories, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
PreDeparture Training: Anxiety and Anticipation
