Today was my first day of orientation!!! I can't wait to go to Africa.
I got up at 5:50 AM. I was supposed to get up earlier, but I was so tired from walking around everywhere and packing, etc., that I slept through the alarm the first time it went off. As a result, I missed the 6:04 N train to Atlantic-Pacific, which was actually two trains earlier than I needed, but the next one was late and I missed the layover at Atlantic-Pacific/ Flatbush Avenue (LIRR) for the train to Hempstead, NY that I needed.
Of course, this was all for the better anyways. There was coffee upstairs. Delicious, delicious coffee that I put on a giftcard, so it was like free coffee, which is even tastier.
The train to Nassau Blvd (Adelphi University) was actually pretty nice. It was very similar to the long distance-style trains in Europe, but with smaller overhead areas and not THAT nice. Padded seats, though. I started writing in my journal (I'm keeping a journal, too, for when I don't have Internet access or anything. I always keep a journal when I travel) , and I quickly discovered what was NOT nice about the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road), which is that it swings boisterously back and forth while speeding along the track. And since I was facing backwards with nothing but coffee in me, I was feeling a little gross.
All in all, I got to Nassau Blvd at 8:25, where miracle of miracles, there was an Adelphi shuttle waiting! For random Adelphi people! And my backpack, so I didn't have to lug it however many blocks there were! It was a beautiful thing.
I checked in at New Residence Hall and dumped my stuff in my room. It's nice. It's a triple, smaller than my triple at Rice, but still big -- two beds long, and the width of two beds plus a desk. There are two big windows, and then a little entryway. One one side there's a bathroom with a sink, counter, shower and toilet, and then across from that, there's an alcove with drawers and closet space. The lighting is pretty good too. I mean, Rice rooms are nicer, but this is really good.
I went downstairs and a group of us walked to a little on-campus cafe spot to get food, and I met some of the first people in my group! More about them later. I also met another girl from Rice named Kristen (Brown College '09). She was Larissa's roommate. We're the only Rice people, and have no idea each other were going, and we're going to different places.
Then, orientation began. The first part was a panel discussion with previous crossroaders, who talked about their experiences, good and bad moments, and embarrassing moments. My group leader, Alison, is great. She's big and loud and exuberant, and loves the area we're going to and has infectious energy. Her bad moment -- when digging out a septic tank, she was throwing big rocks out of the pit, and accidentally cracked a fellow crossroader's head with the rock when he bent down unexpectedly (he was fine).
We also did a teambuilding exercise, building the tallest tower possible out of a stack of notecards. The five group leaders (there are only 5 groups [2 to Gambia, 2 to Ghana and 1 to Kenya] of 10 people, this program is WAY smaller than I thought) performed skits about things that might come up. We talked about culture shock and how hard it will be to come home, as well as icebreakers and don't-judge-by-appearances types of activities. At some point, we broke for lunch and ordered Chinese, which was delicious.
Afterwards, we met with our group and talked about pet peeves and such, as well as general rules and such for the trip. We'll get much more in depth tomorrow, which is also when the medical officer is coming to talk about health risks and such, and we'll register our plans with the Embassy.
After that, though most of our group walked down to the Strip, which is Adelphi's tiny little street of shops and restaurants and stuff. The group was me, Alex, Molly, Ling Ling (all girls) and Matt, Heedoek, and John (all guys). The only people missing were Alison, Tammy and Russell. Everyone but me got Chinese, and I got pizza that looked way more delicious than anything they ate. No offense, guys, but my pizza was awesome.
I had a really good time, and I really like my group. Everyone seems really nice, and I think we'll get along well. Plus, everyone has such interesting stories and comes from different backgrounds and has varying interests, so we won't run out of things to talk about forever.
We went on a mission after that -- a mission for ice cream. And it failed horribly. Even though it was still light out, we had talked until 8PM, and everything had closed. We had to settle for donut holes and frozen coffee at Dunkin' Donuts -- we're trying to cram in as much American junk food as we can before we cook roots on a camp stove for 2 months.
All in all, I can't wait to go to Africa. My group is great, my group leader is great, the place we're going sounds fantastic, and I'm ready for my adventure to start!
Less than 36 hours til departure!
