Flights are Booked!

Laren and I wanted to create a blog to keep family and friends updated on our journey to Africa. This trip completely fell into our laps unexpectedly and we know it wasn't by accident. Volunteering and traveling abroad has been something we have always wanted to do. We are both at a point in our lives where we are longing for something more. We are both teachers which gives us the flexibility to travel in the summer. Being teachers, we will never be rich. However, being rich in life experiences is worth more than any amount of money.

I am finishing my Master's Degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and we are going to be working at a Primary School teaching English while we are there for part of our trip. I love teaching 4th grade, but I know that working with ESL students is what I am supposed to be doing.

After a lot of research we booked our tickets through a great company called ASAP Travel. (ASAP Travel Site) They were very helpful and found us a great deal on our flights. We are leaving St. Louis on May 22nd and will be in Tanzania for a month. Our flight leaves from Chicago, then heads to Zurich, Switzerland. We are lucky enough to have enough time to spend a day in Zurich seeing the Swiss Alps. I am very excited about that. Plus, it will break up the 9,000 mile journey to Africa. From Zurich, we then fly to Kenya for a short layover and then to Dar Es Salaam which is the capital of Tanzania. Fred, who is taking us under his wing while we are there will be waiting at the airport for us. We will then start our trip in Morogoro, Tanzania.

Our agenda for the month is still in the planning stages but there are some must-dos on this trip.
1. 2-4 day safari at one of the game parks. There are several parks nearby, or we can go up north.
2. Spend a few days in Zanzibar.
3. Hike Mt. Kilimanjaro

In this stage of planning we are working on getting our Tanzania Visas and researching the vaccinations we need before we go.We are also going to meet with Fred to take Swahili lessons. Many people will speak English, but we want to make sure we will be able to get around on our own too.

I feel such a mixture of nerves and excitement at this point. The idea of leaving everything I am comfortable with gives me a bit of anxiety, but I know once the initial shock wears off, it will be life changing.

Zanzibar