Hello all!
This computer is a little funky so I'm sorry if my words come out jumbled. Right now I am in Cape Town, staying with a family. From my last update in Swakupmund (where Angelina Jolie had her baby) we traveled south, crossed the Tropic of Capricorn and drove through the worlds largest National Park. In the park we had the opportunity to climb Dune 45, a 200 meter sand dune. We woke at 4:30 am to a huge thunderstorm and climbed into our big blue truck and drove about an hour to the Sand Dune. Just as we got there, the strom stopped and by the time we were at the top most of the clouds had cleared. It was by far the most beautiful sun rise I have ever seen. From there we continued south and visited the ghost town of Kolmanskop, that was built in the early 1900's by Germans when Diamonds were found. By the mid 1900's when the diamonds had run out, not one person lived in the town. From there we hit Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world. And finally, we had midterm exams on the Orange River. We speant 2 nights and 3 days paddeling, taking tests and sleeping under the stars. On the 22nd we crossed the boarder into South Africa, and on the 23rd we made it to Cape Town! Cape Town is one of the most beautiful citys I have ever seen, full of history, life and color. Over the past few days we have taken a hip hop and graffiti tour of Cape Town, visited the township of Langa, and speant the majortiy of our classes studying District 6. If you have the time, I highly recomend looking up District 6. The Grandfather of the family I am staying with now was born in District 6. I speant 3 hours on the couch with him this aftternoon, wrapped up in his stories and his view on where South Africa is headed with the upcoming World Cup. I should also have better internet now that we're in South Africa as well, so if anyone has questions or would just like to say hi I would love to get an email from you! (phoebecoburn@gmail.com) That's all for now though, bed time!!!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Thank You
And thank you all so much for all your support and your wonderful comments, they keep me going, sorry I don't have the time to reply to all!
Swakupmund, Namibia!!!
Hello eveyone!
I'm trying to upload some pictures right now, it's a little slow but I'm trying to make it work. Im in Swakupmund, Namibia at the moment. Oh shout out to Mr. Squyres if your reading this! I went to this theatre ( I think maybe called the Capital Theatre, but I'm not sure) Anyways Hitchcock has been there as well as Michael Jackson!
But anyways from Zambia and Victoria Falls we continued on through Botswana where we stopped at a salt pan the size of Switzerland. We slept out on the pan for one night with no moon, there are not words to describe how incredible the stars were. After it had gotton dark I walked out on to the salt pan until the fire at camp was just a small pin prick in the distance, I have never experienced complete and total scilence before in my life. I never imagined that one of my favorite parts about Africa would be the absolute nothingness of the salt pan.
From there we headed to the Okavonga Delta where we slept in the bush. We poled boats called mocorros, out on the delta.
There is much in between that I am skipping, incuding classes, which are just as interesting as the trip itself. I have a final Travel Journalism article due tomorrow and if I have the time I'll type it up and send it home!
We also speant two days at the Cheetah Conservation Fund where I had the opportunity to see cheetahs run, within an arms length from me.
It's been an incredible journey, challenging no doubt, but one of the best decisions I have ever made. I'll be in South Africa around on the 23, that may be the next internet. So until then (maybe!)
Love to you all,
phoebe
And I'll try to get some pictures up in a minute!
I'm trying to upload some pictures right now, it's a little slow but I'm trying to make it work. Im in Swakupmund, Namibia at the moment. Oh shout out to Mr. Squyres if your reading this! I went to this theatre ( I think maybe called the Capital Theatre, but I'm not sure) Anyways Hitchcock has been there as well as Michael Jackson!
But anyways from Zambia and Victoria Falls we continued on through Botswana where we stopped at a salt pan the size of Switzerland. We slept out on the pan for one night with no moon, there are not words to describe how incredible the stars were. After it had gotton dark I walked out on to the salt pan until the fire at camp was just a small pin prick in the distance, I have never experienced complete and total scilence before in my life. I never imagined that one of my favorite parts about Africa would be the absolute nothingness of the salt pan.
From there we headed to the Okavonga Delta where we slept in the bush. We poled boats called mocorros, out on the delta.
There is much in between that I am skipping, incuding classes, which are just as interesting as the trip itself. I have a final Travel Journalism article due tomorrow and if I have the time I'll type it up and send it home!
We also speant two days at the Cheetah Conservation Fund where I had the opportunity to see cheetahs run, within an arms length from me.
It's been an incredible journey, challenging no doubt, but one of the best decisions I have ever made. I'll be in South Africa around on the 23, that may be the next internet. So until then (maybe!)
Love to you all,
phoebe
And I'll try to get some pictures up in a minute!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Zambia....and now Botswana!!!!
Hi everyone!!!
So I'm running out of time but quick update......Zambia was beautiful, monkey bite and all. But on to Botswana!!!! Im in Chobe National park. It's incredible. Yesterday we went on a game drive and saw 2 lions eating an elephant about 40 ft away. And then last night at sunset we went out on the Chobe river and saw a heard of 67 elephants.
Victoria Falls was beutiful, but it wasn't my favorite part about Livingstone. We did a service project at a school on the outskirts and it was life changing. There was little girl that was 2 years old crying among a group of 10 or 12 kids. I picked her up to comfort her and couldn't let her go for 4 hours. She wouldn't let me either. She had a huge gash that was really infected on her leg, I did the best I could to clean it up but she really need stitches and a doctor. At the end of the service project she cried when I handed to her mother. She never said a word the entire time but we were so close despite age difference and everything.
Tomorrow were moving on through Botswana and I'll try to write again as soon as I can.
I miss and love you all so much!!!
So I'm running out of time but quick update......Zambia was beautiful, monkey bite and all. But on to Botswana!!!! Im in Chobe National park. It's incredible. Yesterday we went on a game drive and saw 2 lions eating an elephant about 40 ft away. And then last night at sunset we went out on the Chobe river and saw a heard of 67 elephants.
Victoria Falls was beutiful, but it wasn't my favorite part about Livingstone. We did a service project at a school on the outskirts and it was life changing. There was little girl that was 2 years old crying among a group of 10 or 12 kids. I picked her up to comfort her and couldn't let her go for 4 hours. She wouldn't let me either. She had a huge gash that was really infected on her leg, I did the best I could to clean it up but she really need stitches and a doctor. At the end of the service project she cried when I handed to her mother. She never said a word the entire time but we were so close despite age difference and everything.
Tomorrow were moving on through Botswana and I'll try to write again as soon as I can.
I miss and love you all so much!!!
Monday, August 17, 2009
News and Guide Article
Written on July 1, 2009
The Wednesday before school let out for spring break was a long day. The lunch bell rang and I dragged myself back to class – just as an announcement erupted over the intercom: “Any girls who might be interested in The Traveling School, please come to the counseling office now.”
I did a U-turn in the hallway, thankful for an excuse to skip class. But what began as a way to get out of taking notes turned into a potentially life changing opportunity.
Before I explain the school, and the adventure I am about to embark on, let me back track. This will be my third summer writing for the paper, and I continue to feel that it is one of my greatest passions. As the pressure of college approaches, writing for the News&Guide has given me hope, while helping me to take a step toward a possible future in journalism.
It turns out that The Traveling School presented a way to get out of class for more than a few minutes -- in fact for an entire semester. The Traveling School, based in Bozeman, is an academically rigorous school for high school-aged girls who wish to enhance their traditional academic experience with overseas exploration. And more importantly for me personally, The Traveling School has a special focus on developing writing skills. I plan on taking a travel journalism class to further my knowledge, as well as an English class. The Traveling School is a non-profit organization with an innovative curriculum that takes full advantage of the environment and the culture overseas. The School works with students home high schools to ensure students receive full academic credit.
Our group will be traveling throughout Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and South Africa. I plan to leave the US on September 1st and return December 15th. I am keenly interested in having more international exposure, and doing charitable volunteer work within the communities we visit. Over the past few years, I have worked with others in setting up a chain of libraries in Nepal, and it is my dream to continue this type of international service for the rest of my life. At JHHS, I am now working with Rotary Interact on designing a foreign service project in Nepal for the summer of 2010.
There is one catch in all of this: While turning around in the hall to respond to any opportunity AND get out of class is “priceless”, taking a semester abroad costs money, in this case a whopping $18,000. When my Dad was in college he decided instead of becoming a doctor or a lawyer or a businessman, he wanted to become the real Indiana Jones, not a highly paid actor, but the real “Indie”. He wanted to live in far off lands and explore new cultures. I admire my dad for his decision. In fact I am elated he chose the path he did. But later when I was born he found that being a professional Indiana Jones doesn’t exactly pay well. So, as of today I have raised all but $6000.00 of the $18,000.00 necessary and now I am seeking assistance for the final third. My parents have always taught me to be independent and responsible, and so instead of empting their piggy banks for me, this is something I am trying to do without the help of parents (and I’m emptying my own piggy bank). I am approaching various organizations for scholarships, but so far individuals have been a major source of donations. I am so close to having all the money together, and this is an incredible opportunity and I know that it will be a major influence on my life. If you or your organization would like to become a sponsor please contact me at phoebecoburn@gmail.com. Plus, you can expect post cards while I am abroad. For more information on the program itself you can visit www.thetravelingschool. com. I believe that educating people on problems that our world faces is one of the most important things we can do, and I believe I can do it. I intend to write about the fall semester in Africa, and bring the experience, and the issues, to others.
The Wednesday before school let out for spring break was a long day. The lunch bell rang and I dragged myself back to class – just as an announcement erupted over the intercom: “Any girls who might be interested in The Traveling School, please come to the counseling office now.”
I did a U-turn in the hallway, thankful for an excuse to skip class. But what began as a way to get out of taking notes turned into a potentially life changing opportunity.
Before I explain the school, and the adventure I am about to embark on, let me back track. This will be my third summer writing for the paper, and I continue to feel that it is one of my greatest passions. As the pressure of college approaches, writing for the News&Guide has given me hope, while helping me to take a step toward a possible future in journalism.
It turns out that The Traveling School presented a way to get out of class for more than a few minutes -- in fact for an entire semester. The Traveling School, based in Bozeman, is an academically rigorous school for high school-aged girls who wish to enhance their traditional academic experience with overseas exploration. And more importantly for me personally, The Traveling School has a special focus on developing writing skills. I plan on taking a travel journalism class to further my knowledge, as well as an English class. The Traveling School is a non-profit organization with an innovative curriculum that takes full advantage of the environment and the culture overseas. The School works with students home high schools to ensure students receive full academic credit.
Our group will be traveling throughout Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and South Africa. I plan to leave the US on September 1st and return December 15th. I am keenly interested in having more international exposure, and doing charitable volunteer work within the communities we visit. Over the past few years, I have worked with others in setting up a chain of libraries in Nepal, and it is my dream to continue this type of international service for the rest of my life. At JHHS, I am now working with Rotary Interact on designing a foreign service project in Nepal for the summer of 2010.
There is one catch in all of this: While turning around in the hall to respond to any opportunity AND get out of class is “priceless”, taking a semester abroad costs money, in this case a whopping $18,000. When my Dad was in college he decided instead of becoming a doctor or a lawyer or a businessman, he wanted to become the real Indiana Jones, not a highly paid actor, but the real “Indie”. He wanted to live in far off lands and explore new cultures. I admire my dad for his decision. In fact I am elated he chose the path he did. But later when I was born he found that being a professional Indiana Jones doesn’t exactly pay well. So, as of today I have raised all but $6000.00 of the $18,000.00 necessary and now I am seeking assistance for the final third. My parents have always taught me to be independent and responsible, and so instead of empting their piggy banks for me, this is something I am trying to do without the help of parents (and I’m emptying my own piggy bank). I am approaching various organizations for scholarships, but so far individuals have been a major source of donations. I am so close to having all the money together, and this is an incredible opportunity and I know that it will be a major influence on my life. If you or your organization would like to become a sponsor please contact me at phoebecoburn@gmail.com. Plus, you can expect post cards while I am abroad. For more information on the program itself you can visit www.thetravelingschool. com. I believe that educating people on problems that our world faces is one of the most important things we can do, and I believe I can do it. I intend to write about the fall semester in Africa, and bring the experience, and the issues, to others.
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