swahili, finances and medications

Since my date of departure is steadily approaching, it's about time to start to get my life in order.

• Plane Ticket - Purchased. Virgin Airways, with one-stop in London, then landing in Nairobi. Luckily (or unluckily), Nairobi is a very unpopular destination, due to its somewhat dangerous reputation - thankfully mostly at night, which we will be avoiding with our 6am arrival time - therefore, we were able to secure a really good price on our flight! Only $1400 after taxes, which is about $600 less than I had expected to spend. What's even better is I'm traveling with a group. We will arrive Sept 13th, about a week before our program starts, which should give us some time to adjust to the country, have skirts made (yay! - this means picking your fabric and being measured and then having it handmade for you) and possibly do some traveling pre-orientation/training.
  
• Medical insurance while in country - Purchased.
• Immunizations - As of today, for the most part taken care of. Did you know that malarone (a malaria medication) is $10 a pill. And you take this daily. I am going to be in the country for 105 days. I almost had a heart attack when I did the quick math. Thankfully, with health insurance, it worked out, because I just ended up purchasing an entire bottle (100 pills) for $20. phew. Luckily, I also got the majority of my shots earlier in the quarter for Nicaragua, so I only had to get Polio booster and Yellow fever.
• Program fee - the last huge expenditure. $2600. Luckily, the cost of this is somewhat decreased when you add in my donations from my birthday party fundraiser, graduation and friends and family donating :) I hope to make up the rest of it through this summer (swim lesson instructor!) and when I get back.
  
• Swahili - lastly, I figure since I will be in the country for such a long time, really the best way to get comfortable quickly is when you are able to have basic communication skills. Therefore, I have been learning swahili on my own. It's progressing... very slowly. I wish I had a class and instructor because then obviously, I would work harder, but at least I will have a bit of a foundation before I get thrown in. So far, I know how to greet someone, ask how they are doing, ask for directions, ask if you would like to eat/drink something, and say I want/know/speak. I have a long way to go. I miss Spanish, it definitely wasn't as hard - probably has to do with the fact that I took Spanish for six years.
  

Slowly, it's all coming together. Next on the agenda: to get ready - watch movies (Yesterday, Hotel Rwanda) and read this book I've been itching to dig into for a long time (What is the What).