Pre-departure

I leave for Bogotá in less than 24 hours. At 2:40pm tomorrow, my flight will take off from Atlanta and I will be on my way. Until today, I haven’t felt any apprehension or anxiety, only excitement. Now, all these emotions are most definitely mixed. This is a good thing. A friend told me yesterday that when she thinks about the best adventures of her life, she was always nervous before hand. I am nervous now and I count that as good sign for a bright ten months ahead. Yesterday evening, I was fortunate enough to go out to eat with Fabio Coelho (who used to work with my father) and his wife Mafe. Mafe’s family is from Cali and she was in Colombia a mere 15 days ago. We were able to spend quite a few hours chatting about my home for the next year and it filled me with excitement. Over the past few months I cannot believe the number of people, some of whom I have not talked to in years and others who I have just met, who have contacted me with connections in Colombia and advice on living there. It has been a true blessing.  

I will spend my first week in Colombia in Bogotá at orientation with my fellow Fulbrighters and then depart the 7th for Cali where I will be staying temporarily at the Universidad Santiago de Cali (the university where I will be working) until finding permanent housing. Even now that my departure is so close, it is still difficult for me to believe that I am going. Before I know it, I know that I will be integrated into a new routine with new people, new ideas, and new issues to fill my mind. Until then, however, it will be transition time. I am going with an open mind, ready to take things one day at a time, ready to face each day with confidence and enthusiasm. Wish me well! Hope that all of you who are reading this post are doing well. Let me know what is going on with you, wherever you may be. Drop me a line at n.g.cheadle@gmail.com!