The Adventure Has Begun

Mambo! Ninajifunza Kiswahili na ninakunywa kahawa.

Hey! I'm studying Kiswahili and drinking my instant coffee (in the cushion room of the SIT classroom as I bring you this update from Zanzibar). I don't have long between Kiswahili class sections, but this update will at least establish that I'm alive and loving this place. The last two days have been a whirlwind adventure, from temporarily lost baggage to street-grilled octopus and jellyfish stings. The crew here is great and the atmosphere couldn't be more surreal. From the classroom I can hear the crowing of roosters, thrumming of motorbikes, and periodic yowl of a cat. There are A LOT of cats here (more to follow on that note). The first week is filled with orientation time, guided exploration of Stonetown, and Kiswahili sessions, so my ability to sit back and keep written track of everything has been severely limited. It's been three days and I already feel like I have spent a week here. I can't begin to cover all of the details up to this point at the moment, but when I return from the fishing village of Kiwengwa on Friday, I promise to post up a full narrative. Keep tuned in for all the following stories!

Prologue

Well, this is it. I'm going to Zanzibar. After a week of listing, shopping, checkups, organizing, and lounging (I'm still a creature of habit under stress), the trip is finally coming together. It's surreal to think that within 48 hours I'll be in Amsterdam waiting for my connecting flight to Nairobi. I'm actually quite pleased with the comfortable series of flights and layovers which await me both on the way out and when I fly back. Minneapolis-Amsterdam-Nairobi-Zanzibar on the way and basically the same thing returning in December (sub Dar Es Salaam for Nairobi). I picked the seats today and even managed to get my favorite economy class setup. The aisle seat. Let the travel games begin tomorrow night! In the meantime, it all comes down to final prep. The inescapable feeling that I'm forgetting something has already set in and I haven't even started packing it all up.

• 100+ Non-psychosis-inducing antimalarials: Check. 
• Steri-pen with replacement batteries: Check.
• Camera w/ all necessary equipment: Check.
• Zanzibar-appropriate attire: Check.
• A sense of the full gravity of my upcoming experience: ............

Don't worry, it'll happen.

As a first time blogger, I can't promise that the following posts will be deeply philosophical, captivating, or regular (this the latter's a toss-up until I've settled in). But yes, you'll get pictures, quotes/phrases I pick up along the way, and characteristically verbose descriptions of local scenery & fauna (There Will Be Insects). It's impossible to depart on such a grand adventure without telling little stories along the way. Enjoy the snapshots and anecdotes from Zanzibar and don't hesitate to tell me what you think along the way!