“Tick–tock, Tick–tock, Tick-tock”. My finger taps along to the clock as I anxiously wait for these last 48 hours to go by until I get on the first plane to start my trip to Uganda. Even though I still have a million things to finish before I leave, I’m so antsy to get there, it’s like I have ants in my pants. The jitters of excitement are racing through my head and I still keep thinking to myself, “Wow, I’m actually going to Uganda for a whole month. I’m beyond excited!”
New adventures have always been one of my favorite things, especially when it involves traveling to a new country. Since starting PA school at MUSC 2 years ago, traveling and volunteering haven’t exactly been the easiest things to do. Between classes, exams, clinicals, and a lot of studying, my free time has been very limited. So when I found out that I could combine my love of traveling and volunteering with school, I jumped at the unique opportunity to go to Uganda.
While excitement is beaming from me, I can't help but wonder if I’m prepared or not. While I have my passport, visa, vaccines and the common travel essentials, I question if I’m prepared in other ways. There are the everyday concerns, like do I have enough snacks, (I’m a picky eater and have the palate of a 7 year old so I always worry if I’ll have enough to eat.), did I bring enough cash, or what if I get sick? But then there are the deeper concerns; what if Uganda isn’t what I expect, What if my medical knowledge isn’t enough to help a patient? What if I can’t communicate effectively in a different culture and language? Or what if I don’t make a difference?
I mean can anyone really feel fully prepared without any concerns for a new adventure in their life? If anyone knows of someone that does feel completely prepared, send them my way, I’d love to talk to them. As for now, here is to jumping into a new adventure!