I'm outta here.

Sooo.... I am leaving for Kenya in 6 days. Six days from about RIGHT NOW, I will be leaving for the airport. Holy cow. It still doesn't even seem real. I suppose it will when I start packing my suitcase and saying bye to people. We're having people over tonight as a end-of-3rd-year, start-of-summer, going-away party. Maybe after a few drinks and a few goodbyes, it will hit me. I am surprised at myself for not being a complete wreck. I'm sure I will be next Thursday morning!

About 2 months ago or so, there was a notice that UPEI was accepting applications for 2 (possibly 4) positions for internships in Kenya for the summer. The internships is in collaboration with the school of nursing, Farmers Helping Farmers, and a few other organizations. I had heard of students from other years participating in the internship and I wanted to do it, but never thought I would be chosen. So I applied and went for the interview. I thought I bombed... I came home and analyzed all of my answers and was convinced that Kim, Digafe, and Teresa thought I was a complete idiot. I talked to the other girls who were interviewed, and luckily, they all thought they sounded like complete idiots too. I felt a little bit better! A few days later, Kim (the Dean of the School of Nursing) called. On the phone, she sounded like a co-worker of mine, and at first, I thought that she was my co-worker, calling to see if I would fill a shift. I was talking all casual-like, and then I hear her say: "You have been chosen to go to Kenya." WHAT?! was my first response. I don't think I really believed her at first. Anyway, it sunk in- sort of- and now, I am going to Kenya.

So, while preparing to go, I read the blogs of the students that have gone in previous years. I learned that we'd be working in St. Theresa's Mission Hospital in Kiirua on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. The hospital has a maternity unit, a surgical suite (or theatre), a pediatric ward, and a medical unit. On Thursdays, we will be going out into the communities to do HIV/AIDS outreach. And on Fridays, we will be working at an orphanage, feeding and playing with babies and young children. We will all be doing work in each area, but there are 4 main projects and we will all take on a team leader role for one of the projects. I am taking on the maternity/breast feeding/labour support project. I am convinced that this will be one of the most important things that I ever do in my life. It's going to be amazing.

So... I will be updating this as much as possible. I understand that we have lots of time in the evenings, but that the power goes out often and the internet connection is slower than rural PEI's high speed connection.... So, we'll see how it goes.

Hope you all have a great summer!