Traveling School

9/12/06 - Gennifre Hartman, Principal

As I sit and type this Trip Report, I can hear the girls discussing the definition of racism in their History and Government of Southern Africa course. They are articulate and thoughtful, drawing on passages from their reading and personal examples to debate the topic. Each semester, the girls enrolled with The Traveling School inspire me with their incredible motivation and energy. This group has already faced all sorts of challenges and adventures within their first week, and we are all looking forward to the events to come!

We have a group of 16 amazing girls from around the US and Australia. They are a unique and inspiring group, with their own creative energy and sense of adventure.

1.) Jemma is a thoughtful, gentle sophomore from California who has already accomplished more than she ever thought possible – she carried a full backpack to the summit of a mountain this weekend… and won the Lookin’ Good award for her spirit this week!

2.) Brittany is an energetic senior from New York with a creative flair for words and genuine compassion for all members of the group. As we went hiking this weekend, she wrestled the walkie talkie away from the leaders to give the back of the group constant trail updates and encouragement, such as, “ahead you’ll encounter a barrage of thick vines which make the trail quite technical…”

3.) Ashley is a soft-spoken student from North Carolina with a quick smile and thoughtful conversation. The other girls are drawn to her easy-going nature, and it isn’t uncommon to see all of the girls sitting around Ashley, involved in conversation. Ashley is determined to make a difference in this world and Africa has touched something deep within her.

4.) Laura is a graceful student from New Jersey with a deep awareness of the world around her. She is great at translating experiences into deeper shades of meaning for the rest of the girls, and I often see her engaged in intense conversations with other philosophical students.

5.) Kya is a delightful student from Connecticut. She described this experience as being ‘free’ and her whole face often lights up with joy. Her energy is inspiring to the other girls and she is captivated by taking pictures of all that Africa has to offer.

6.) Josephine is a beautiful student from Australia. Despite experiencing the double culture shock of being immersed in an American school group in the midst of Africa, she has quickly found a place within in the group, and all of the Americans are trying to emulate her gentle Australian accent.

7.) Lindsey is a compassionate senior from Montana with a deep sense of self and a recently discovered talent for rock-climbing. She just won the first Athletic Award for her incredible climbing aptitude – and we celebrated her 18th birthday this week!

8.) Lizzie is an enthusiastic student from Maine. Her competitive nature and exuberance have quickly draws the other girls to her. She loves to tell stories and all of the girls were hiking with her on the trail this weekend. Lizzie won the African Queen award this week for her great conversations with locals.

9.) Quinn is a light-hearted student from Montana who seems to always be smiling or laughing. She has such a positive and enthusiastic attitude within the group, and is quick to lighten every mood. She is compassionate and kind, and has helped a few of the students as they have struggled with homesickness during the first week!

10.) Mollie is an upbeat student from North Carolina. She is writing a weekly article for her hometown paper during the semester, and described herself in the first article as, “I’ve never been the girl to do what others have expected me to; in a way I guess you could say that I march to the beat of my own drum. Some could argue that it is a fault of mine, and who could blame them, I’ll even admit that my stubborn, independent nature is exhausting. However, in this case I believe that this trait that I possess has worked to my advantage, yet again, and it is how I ended up here, in Africa.”

11.) Aubrey is a ton of fun. She is from Maine and she always looks like she is having the time of her life. When talking about Africa, her voice is filled with joy and she fills the group with energy about the adventure they are experiencing.

12.) Amanda is a positive-minded student from Montana who has settled into The Traveling School routine as if she has been doing it her whole life. She absolutely beams while climbing, hiking or while in class. She has taken to the schedule easily, and this flexibility and motivation earned her the Academic Award this week.

13.) Elizabeth is a quiet student from North Carolina who has already experienced more in this week than she ever imagined. She has rock climbed steep cliffs and hiked to the top of high mountains, and I’ve heard her say many times, “I can’t believe I am doing this!”

14.) Erin is a good-natured student from Montana who is enjoying her second semester with The Traveling School. While going through the rules during orientation this week, Erin quickly reassured the students that the semester is all about having fun!

15.) Amelia is a free-spirited student from Rhode Island. She is open and kind, and flexible for whatever comes her way. She is thoughtful and non-judgmental, and her comments in class are insightful and compassionate.

16.) Sueminn is a creative student from New Jersey who is soaking up this experience. She gives everything she has to the activity of the day – be it rock climbing, backpacking, or classes. The entire group gave her a huge group cheer when she made it to the summit during the backpacking section.

ACADEMICS
Classes are in full swing and the girls are immersed in reading, writing, and learning about life skills and the importance of education. In the History and Government of Southern Africa course, the students have started reading My Traitor’s Heart, a historical novel chronicling the devastating effects of apartheid. They have also started an exploration of the development of cultures and countries in southern Africa. This week began with a discussion of ancient history, because southern Africa contains many of the archeological records of the world’s earliest human inhabitants. The students have started to study the ancient tribes of the San, Kho-khoi, and Bantu. In Natural Science, the students are beginning a section on wildlife biology to prepare them for their upcoming safari to Krugar National Park. The students are about to become experts in various animals and birds, and begin a study of different ecological areas within southern Africa. In Mathematical Applications, students are learning currency conversion and budgeting techniques. This course is designed to prepare students with the mathematical skills they need outside of the classroom and in their lives. Last week began with budgeting and financial management. All students are required to maintain a complete record of their spending and savings while traveling. Algebra 2 has started with studying numeric and algebraic expressions, and is moving to finding solutions to linear equations. In the Languages of Southern Africa, students have started a study on the relationships between communication and culture. They have also started to learn the basics of Swazi and Afrikaans. In African Literature and Composition, the students recently started reading Cry, the Beloved Country, a beautiful novel written to expose the inequities of the apartheid system. The students read this novel as they travel through the same setting – immersed in Zululand as they read. They are also developing their descriptive writing techniques as they prepare for their first paper – a descriptive essay about a place or thing. The Photography Course has been snapping away, there are more subjects than anyone could imagine! The students are learning about the technical aspects of digital photography and learning about their cameras. They are downloading pictures on the computer – and we hope to send some good pictures home soon! The Global Studies course has started a study to review theories of economic, political, and social change that have been adopted by anthropologists, economists, and political scientists. In class, students have started to study and debate the way these theories the definition and goals of the development process within South Africa.

CULTURE
The village where we are living has 250 inhabitants. The students walk down the Main Street and can stop and talk with people as they go about their day. The girls have interviewed locals, and are asking all sorts of people for words in Swazi and Afrikaans for their language journals. They have enjoyed time with our local climbing guides and local outdoors people who have helped with our adventure activities. Our girls have also generated lovely compassion and warmth in many locals. When Giddeon and Joanne picked our group up after the backpacking excursion, they surprised us by inviting all 20 of us to use their swimming pool for an afternoon of relaxing and laying in the sun. On Lindsey’s birthday, Morena, the local butcher, invited the entire group to her shop where she had baked two enormous chocolate cakes to help Lindsey celebrate. She said, “You must have a cake on your birthday, and since you are so far from home, the people of South Africa will have to make you part of our home!”

This week, the students are visiting a local high school in a township. The township has approximately 7,000 residents, many of whom work at the local nickel and chrome mine. It is extremely rare to have a high school in such a small region, and there are 165 students at the school. The girls will spend the morning attending classes, giving presentations, and interacting with local students – we are working on our Swazi!

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE
We are fortunate to have an extremely qualified PE and Nutrition teacher who has incorporated her workouts into an overall health and nutrition course for the girls. The girls are creating fitness goals, learning about basic anatomy, and beginning a study of nutrition and overall health. In addition to the circuit training, Ultimate Frisbee, yoga and running, we have a great deal of additional outdoor activity to get the group in shape!

Last week, the girls had two full days of rock climbing. They learned specific climbing techniques, how to use equipment, proper safety procedures, and how to safely belay each other. All of the girls made it to the top of the cliffs at least once, and many of the excitedly ran from climb to climb – trying to complete as many as possible before it was time to go!

Over the weekend, the girls backpacked for 8 miles to the top of a mountain. They had full backpacks and all hiked and encouraged each other for nine hours on the trail. We took pictures, learned to purify water from streams, hiked up a jungle valley filled with vines, and played in a picturesque waterfall. At the end of the hike, we stayed at a beautiful stone hut. After a big dinner, the girls relaxed under the stars and saw the Southern Cross in the sky for the first time. Many of the girls slept outside to stargaze, and the others cuddled up on the bunks inside the hut.

Yesterday the girls completed a huge physical challenge, alternating between rock climbing, mountain biking, and a kayaking/ team-building activity. Needless to say, we were all exhausted after such a wonderful day! Tomorrow, following the visit to the township school, the girls are going to do a 150 foot rappel next to a waterfall for their final rope activity. We are all looking forward to it!

Soon, our overland truck will arrive to ferry us to the next adventure. The truck seats 21-people, has an entire self-contained kitchen, and a place to unpack the library. It carries hundreds of gallons of water, and also has several tables and chairs for our classes. We are looking forward to Krugar Park, and returning to visit our friends in the Limpopo Province.
The flowers are starting to bloom as winter fades to spring here in Africa! Thank you for your support and we’ll write again soon.

Sincerely,
Gennifre Hartman
Academic Program Director
English and Language teacher

10/4/06

Dear families and friends,

It is raining here in Zululand. The rain is streaming from the roofs in long ribbons of water and the red dirt is crumbling with moisture. For our group, we are soggy and longing for the sun. For Africa, however, the rain is a gift. People are singing and talking about the bounty of the crops they will plant. For the people in Kwa-Zulu Natal, the rains mean that there will be enough food this season.

So much has happened since the last update. We've visited the animals in Krugar National Park, the agricultural region in the Limpopo Province, the historic battlefields of the Zulu-Boer wars, the World Heritage site of the Drakensberg Mountains, and are now immersed in traditional Zulu culture Ð what an adventure!

ACADEMICS

We finished our study of Cry, the Beloved Country for African Literature and Composition while sitting in a circle overlooking the red hills of Zululand. For anyone who is familiar with the text, the book begins, "There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it. The road climbs seven miles into them; and from there, if there is no mist, you look down on one of the fairest valleys of Africa." The girls are finishing their descriptive place essays and working on incorporating detail into their writing. Sueminn has been busy writing and drawing in her journal and has truly created a work of art.

In the Languages of Southern Africa class, the students have added Zulu to their current linguistic repertoire of Afrikaans and Swazi. Yesterday we had a two hour class with several native Zulu speakers who volunteer at the local community radio station. They talked with the girls about traditional healers, traditional Zulu families, and traditional Zulu greetings. The girls are now confidently greeting people on the street with a cheerful, "Sawabona!" They are also working on their clicks, because Zulu has several clicks and popping noises woven throughout the language. Quinnie has been a natural with the languages and talks with everyone we meet.

The History and Government of Southern Africa course has been fascinating and has quickly become a favorite course. The students have watched history come alive as they've visited museums and actual battlefields during the past few weeks. At the Battle of Bloed River site, the girls all crouched around the monument and attacked the Voortrekkers as Zulus. They then switched personas and tried to fend off the attacking Zulus from the perspectives of the Voortrekkers. They are methodically moving through historical perspectives, are tracking current events, and are immersed in daily discussions. Today they discussed whether a person has a moral obligation to intervene when she witnesses something that is wrong. Aubrey was very engaged in this discussion and led the students with some powerful thoughts.

Mathematical Applications and Algebra 2 have required that students really understand their spending habits. When the truck stops for a snack break, the girls often exclaim, "I can buy an ice cream because I have extra money in my budget," or "I'm just going to get water since I blew my budget on the Internet last night." Algebra 2 students are carefully working their way through the text, and the Mathematical Applications girls have been learning about credit cards, investing, and savings. Kya priced the cost of a new car, a coffin and a cheap lunch in one town Ð and found that South Africa can be very expensive!

Natural Science students have been designing their own National Parks. Complete with animals, park management practices, mission statements, biodiversity, and natural disasters. They have learned about malaria firsthand from the scientists at the Malaria Institute. They have fallen in love with bird watching after an intense study of birds in South Africa. In the rainforest canopy walk they enjoyed yesterday, they learned that 65 species of birds exist in that single forest. I heard Jemma say the other day, "I never knew how much I would love watching birds!"

Photography has the students in a setting that is out of the pages of National Geographic. They have been taking pictures of wildlife, landscapes, portraits, and community life. Elizabeth just sent off a beautiful photo for her home newspaper of a shack in a township. The students are interested in creating an electronic yearbook for the semester, so they have been snapping pictures of everyone and everything. Ashley took a beautiful landscape shot of a hike we took in the Drakensberg, and Amanda has a picture of a cheetah from the animal rehabilitation center that is positively astounding.

Global Studies has been wonderful combination of cultural understanding and outdoor skills development. On the cultural side, students have read about Zulu culture, illegal animal poaching in Africa, definitions of culture, and the balance between tourism and traditional ways. Laura is very engaged in our discussions on pivotal issues and has led the students in some poignant conversations. On the outdoor skills side, students have learned how to give and receive effective feedback, how to manage conflict resolution, and about expeditionary behavior. To teach expeditionary behavior, the teachers set up a hilarious skit during lunch where we exhibited all of the undesirable behaviors. We fell asleep, wouldn't help with chores, argued with each other, and made lunch very uncomfortable. Erin kept looking at everyone and laughing during the skit, trying to figure out why we were acting so out of character. Afterwards, the students were delighted to know that we were just making a point for class, and the expeditionary behavior for our community has improved ever since!

CULTURE

It's difficult to summarize the culture that we've enjoyed in a single paragraph. The students have visited orphans in Zululand. They have helped to feed children and at local children's food program. They have visited an avocado packhouse and talked with the workers in the factory. They have visited two high schools: the first was a township school in a poor, rural area; the second was an affluent private high school with all of the amenities and a diverse, English-speaking student body. They have attended a traditional Zulu wedding where the groom was dressed in zebra skins and the bride and her family danced in the grass for hours. They have sat on the truck and waved for hours at the people in rural villages who are going about their day. They have played soccer with local children on dirt fields. They have sung our national anthem to classrooms of children as an introduction to our group (Our Australian student, Josie, smiles and wiggles her way to the back. We offered to learn the Australian national anthem, but she'd rather blend in with the group!). This is an amazing, compassionate group of girls. People are drawn to their energy and wherever we go, people are always impressed by this group of confident teenagers who want to make a difference in this world.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

The girls went on their fist traditional animal safari in Krugar National Park. We saw giraffes, zebras, elephants, and all sorts of "deer-y things." The birds were abundant and we all enjoyed identifying new types. We went for a night drive in a Land Rover one evening and saw several lion cubs with a few lionesses. The next day we saw several rhinoceroses and another lion pack hunting at dusk. The girls learned to protect their sandwiches from monkeys during lunchtime, and everyone enjoyed the adventure. Lindsey fell in love with the animals and spent all day staring out the window, hoping to spot a leopard.

After Krugar, we visited an animal rehabilitation center for animals and birds that had been poisoned, trapped or orphaned. Several of the girls had a vulture perch on their arms, and Amelia had an eagle land on her head! There was a baby hippo named Humphrey who frolicked in the swimming pool and played with the girls.

The girls also competed in a track and field event against the students of a private high school. The girls won one of the three competitions against the local students. When Mollie was warming up, one of the South African girls said, "Oh no, we aren't running against the Americans, are we? They are going to win!" Mollie smiled and stuck out her hand, and let them know she was as nervous as they were. Everyone smiled and chatted before and after the race, and it was great for the students to be back at a high school for a day.

We did several impressive hikes. One was a day hike in Kwa-Zulu Natal National Park. We hiked to a waterfall and did an enormous loop through the mountains. Another hike brought us high into the Drakensberg Mountains where we slept in a cave for two nights. We slept like a big pile of puppies and all watched the sunrise together each morning. Lizzie woke up one morning at five o'clock and said, "This is the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen."

Last night, the girls used the conference room from the center where we have been having class to put on a dance recital. Brittney was absolutely beautiful with her traditional dance training. Josie did a modern funk dance, and Mollie and Laura kept up with everyone. It was fun to see.

Tonight we have a Zulu feast planned and the local women are going to teach our girls how to do African dance. As of tomorrow, we are planning to leave for Durban and travel along the coast. The girls are looking forward to the beach and surfing. We're keeping our fingers crossed for a break in the rain, but for now, the rain makes Africa happy. And Africa truly makes us happy, as well.

All the best,

Gennifre Hartman
Academic Program Director
English and Language teacher

November 20, '06
Dear Traveling School friends and family,

Greetings from Swakopmund! Our group is on the road again after homestays and a visit to Cape Town, one of the most beautiful cities I can imagine. We have had so many wonderful adventures that it is difficult to know where to start. So maybe the best thing to do is to let the students share their perceptions...

About leaving Cape Town, Ashley had this to say:

"I was not looking forward to leaving Cape Town. Cape Town is an amazing place full of raw culture, beautiful scenery, and a personal favorite, delectable restaurants. Thanks to my amazing homestay family I had the opportunity to see Cape Town from a local perspective and I loved it. The hustle and bustle of a large city inspires me to achieve. But when the time came to pack up the truck and leave the city, it was OK because I knew that it wouldn't be long until I was back."

Leaving Cape Town, we not only said goodbye to South Africa and all of our new friends, but we also said farewell Gennifre and Laura. Their absences are felt. The space however has new energy now that Sitembiso, Japhet's daughter, has joined us. Quiet at first, she has fallen right into step with our crew and has become an important part of our group. After just two weeks, I can't imagine this trip without her.

Our time in Cape Town also provided some time for students to work on projects for their classes. Erin describes Claire's history class:

"This week in our history class we have been recreating the process political parties went through in the constitution that ended apartheid. We were each given different roles to research and present. The process made me realize the reality of how recent South African history is and the significance of different opinions coming together to create a constitution to live by. We all thought back to our visit to Parliament in Cape Town and pictured the people of the roles we were playing sitting in the green leather chair room less than 15 years ago deciding the future of South Africa. I can't imagine a better way to come to understand South Africa's political switch-over from apartheid. A few weeks ago for our oral history projects it was fascinating to interview locals about how apartheid affected their lives and gain an understanding on history that can only be obtained through talking with someone with personal experience. That's what is cool about The Traveling School we have the opportunity to learn about events in another country and gain a local's perspective on it."

And in Linnaea's science class, Quinnie says:

"For the past week we have been learning about global warming and the affects it has on Africa and the rest of the world. Over our homestays in Cape Town, Linnaea assigned us to interview our host family about their perceptions of global warming. It was an interesting assignment to do because I got a better idea about how the rest of the world perceives global warming. Also, we have been exploring other environmental problems that affect Africa. As we head into Etosha National Park, we will begin our safari animal project. Each student picks an animal and gives a presentation of that animal. We will give this presentation when we see it in the wild! It will be really great to learn about a specific animal as we drive along Namibia and accidentally see it. All of us have been exploring the wonderful landscape and we learn new things about this environment everyday."

Indeed Namibia provides inspiring views at every turn. Namibia has empty landscapes, punctuated by dunes in the distance and the occasional ostrich or quiver tree to give the eye something to focus on. Our first stop in Namibia was at the Orange River where we had a full day of classes on a scorching hot day. The next day, we made our way down the river for an afternoon canoe trip. The starkness of the cool water in this desert environment made us all a little wild, as the sound of teenage girl voices singing old camp songs at the top of their lungs bounced off the canyon walls. Perhaps the most hilarious moment came as Mollie and Aubrey dove out of their canoes with the singular goal of tipping Linnaea out of hers. The entire crew was in tears with laughter.

After Orange River, we made our way yet further inland for a stopover at Ai Ais, which in Nama means "scorching water," And we found out why: a natural hot spring boils up from underground and is captured in pools for soaking. Seems great? Except when it's about 98 degrees in the shade. Most everyone braved the hot water for a quick dip. The absurdity of swimming in a hot spring in the middle of the desert offered great laughs and oddly a bit of relief from the beaming sun.

The one constant in our daily routine is morning workout. Lindsey says:

"Our day starts at 6:00am while it is still cool and the sun has not yet risen over the horizon for a morning workout. While some of us dreaded having to drag ourselves out of bed at the beginning of the semester, I have grown to love the unpredictable activities the morning may hold. Workouts range from jogging on the beach as the sun rises, climbing up a gigantic red sand dune, surfing , doing yoga under the stars, or playing a fantastic game of Ultimate Frisbee on dewy grass. Whatever we end up doing in the course of the morning I always leave workout refreshed and ready to take on the day. Along with workout we keep a workout log where we set goals for the day and the week that we want to accomplish as well as record our daily activities. We also have a Nutrition class which I have found vary interesting. We are currently learning about carbs, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins and the role they play in the body."

From Ai Ais, we traveled to Hobas, just at the rim of Fish River Canyon.

About 5:30 in the evening, we piled in the truck to go find a good spot to take in the sunset. As the girls strolled out along the rim, Crispen pulled out his kitchen and prepared us a feast. We enjoyed a lovely dinner and each other as we watched the sun dive behind the hills far off in this distance.

Jemma describes it:

"On Friday evening, November 10th, we visited Fish River Canyon in Namibia. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. Over endless miles of flat and dry desert plains the unique formation of the canyon was like a majestic oasis. Driving toward it in our huge blue overlander I had no idea what I should have expected to see, but then out of nowhere the expansive plain dropped and the canyon slowly crept into sight. I immediately closed my book and took out my camera, not putting it down until we left the canyon hours later. I probably took more pictures of the canyon than I have of everything else on this trip combined. As I walked to the edge of a drop-off I soaked in every detail of the Canyon, every carve in the dirt-red rock, every meander of the shallow river hundreds of feet below. Everyone had their cameras out, kneeling down to get the right angle of the carved rock walls and focusing their lenses to give the picturesque landscape justice. We walked further down the trail next to the edge of the Canyon to reach an outlook point where we ate dinner. The sun set over the vast Canyon creating a pink and orange stratified sky resting upon the steep mountains in the distance. Everything but the strong wind was still and silent, and the Canyon's stillness and beauty reminded me of how absolutely lucky we all are to be in here with The Traveling School watching the sunset over the second largest Canyon in the world. There are so many more places we're traveling to that I'm sure will be just as amazing, but visiting Fish River Canyon has been my favorite experience on this trip yet."

As for our African Literature and Composition class, it has been a wonderful experience to step into this class with such intelligent women. Of

Literature class Kya says:

"Shannon has transformed our English class with her energy and love for language. We have started reading 'The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency', a quirky mystery novel following Mme Ramotswe and the people of Botswana. Poetry has filled our journals as we explore different poetic styles such as haiku and elegy. In the ghost town we had class in an old abandoned house. We piled into a small upstairs room and journaled about wind and sand. We have also been playing with our words through a surrealist game called 'The Exquisite Corpse,' in which we created awkward yet beautiful sentences. A few examples from our last class are: 'The angry undies screamed the shimmering dress' and 'The thunderous mermaid rushes a galloping moon'."

One of the unexpected realities of this experience of group travel is how little time we have alone. In an effort to take some quiet time, we build solo adventures into the schedule. Without fail, every time we have solo, the students come back refreshed and ready for more excitement. Lizzie describes the experience with beautiful details. In the following section, she describes a solo we did in the canyon above Ai Ais late in the afternoon as the mountains' shadows began to stretch across the valley and the heat of day turned into a cool breeze:

"As I set my mat down with my camera and my water bottle I gaze across the expansive land below. My mind goes crazy and all I can think is how lucky I am to be in such an amazing place. I have only one way to let this out, and that is to scream. "waoooohooooo!!" I hear the echo in the back round and am satisfied with my actions. I am on my solo. It is where we get an hour or so do go or do whatever we want and just be alone to gather everything that is going on. This time is really helpful for me because I never really get that kind of time while I am with the group so it is nice to just be myself and think and just let go. During this time so many things are running through my head and I don't try to figure it out, I just let it run

and from that I have discovered that amazing things can be discovered about oneself. Solo is one of my favorite times because it is a place of total openness and freedom and to have that along with being in Africa, is the most amazing feeling ever."

A few days later, we rolled into Sessreim excited for the next adventure- a sunrise hike in the red sand of the Namib dunes. I think it was a high point for everyone. I confess - it is one of my favorite places on earth.

Maybe Elizabeth agrees with me:
"DUNE 45

4:30 am- All of us stumble zombie-like on to the truck to head for the dunes. We were third in line as we waited to be let out of the campground gate. At 5:15 the gates opened and the great race began. Overlanders and cars had the pedal to the metal. We all piled out of the truck and joined all the other dune-climbers as we began to ascend the dune. The sand was as fine as flour with a burnt orange color. Everyone made a mad dash up to the top to watch the African sun rise over the rolling sand dunes. Some girls rolled down the side of the dune and others did cartwheels down. The whole vibe that overcame me while I was playing in the soft warm sand was magical. I felt like I was a little kid again, playing in my sandbox. Dune 45 was by far my favorite day of the entire trip. We all had a blast."

No trip report would be complete without an update on the Math Applications class, always a student body favorite. Brittany, in particular, has taken the lead in these topics. She says:

"I've spent my whole life sitting in classrooms behind a desk learning all sorts of sesquipidellious names of calculus equations I'll never use after finals. But in our Math Applications class I've learned skills that I'll be using for the rest of my life, probably even this fall when I head off to college. We've learned to balance checkbooks, manage debt and figure out what all those numbers on a credit card statement mean. We've even learned to set up retirement funds so that in our later years we will have the funds to relive all our wild African adventures if our hearts so desire. For the past 2 weeks we have been learning how to write up impressive resumes and cover letters. We've had to figure out what college degrees we will need to earn as well as what internships and jobs will give us the best experience so that one day we can go confidently into a job interview and land the job we have always dreamt about. This whole process has made me so excited for my future and given me that ambition and confidence to think that it is possible for me to one day be that editor in chief of a prominent magazine, namely Vogue. It's been a compass for me, clearing up any foggy indecisiveness and giving me some directions as I try to navigate through life. I now know where I want to go to college, what I want to major and minor in, even where I want to go for grad school. The same excitement exists in all the other girls as they plan to be adventure tour guides, neonatal nurses, wildlife rehabilitators, the list goes on. And each day that we sit in class and Linnaea recounts stories of her past job interviews, I see the confidence grow in each of us. We've also had an incredibly entertaining project called The Game of Life, which we started a week or so ago. We were all given alter-egos, mine being Bonnie Taylor winner of The Apprentice. But we also have Marge Bob, single mother of 6 who lives in her VW bus, and Starlight Moonbeam, the founder of a non-profit organization. We have pro-surfers, lawyers, even yoga instructors. Every class we are given paychecks and based on the budgets we each created, we have to pay our bills. I can't forget the surprises we get to write up each week. Each batch of surprises gives us all a good laugh as they range from someone winning a college scholarship for their child to someone jetting off to Fiji with a scuba instructor. Each of these things is then factored into our budgets. Sometimes we have to rework our budgets and if necessary we can apply for a credit card so that we can accumulate debt. As in real life, the Game of Life always keeps us guessing."

There are two important members of our group yet to share with you. We certainly would not get very far without them. Mollie has this to say about them:

"Crispen and Japhet serve as our guides and father figures while we travel through Africa. We all look forward to practicing our Shona morning greetings during breakfast, and it seems that both Japhet and Crispen get a kick out of our pronunciation. While the two are total opposites, they complement each other and have an Ernie-and-Bert way about them. It amazes me how clean Crispen is in the middle of the Namib Desert. His pants and shirts look liken they have been starched and his face is usually the only one in the group that is not filthy. Crispen has a sixth sense about him because he knows exactly when we are desperate for his pancakes. We all enjoy his sharp, witty personality and the way he calls the vegetarians, "veggies." While Japhet is quick to keep the girls in line, he is constantly joking around. Quite honestly, he reminds me of my dad. After observing us for a few weeks, Japhet has given us all our "totem" names. A totem is an animal that represents our personalities through the personalities we share. Ever since we were dubbed with these totems, Japhet refuses to call us by anything else. It makes us all feel closer to Africa."

Since arriving in Swakopmund, we have had a day of classes, a study day/rest day, and another day on the dunes. Today we hit the dunes on our sleds and sandboards. You simply don't know what fun is until you have tried this. I suspect today will be yet another "best day ever" for many.

What an adventure we are having! I am honored to share this experience with these brave, passionate women. They are truly an inspiration to me.

Well, I am off to classes, hoping you all are well, enjoying your days, and waiting with open hearts for your amazing daughters. We will see you very soon.

Shannon Ongaro
Academic Program Director

Fall 2006 Trip Reports

Trip Reports

Photo Galleries (view all)