Travel
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Photo credit AramcoWorld
Jan. 28, 2026
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not very good with words- you'll never hear me profess to be an aspiring author. I love reading other people's words, so I'll try to keep my own as interesting as possible. Looking at the picture of a pirogue (see left), I think it's finally dawning on me that I'll be in Senegal in a couple months. As much as I want to be prepared, I won't stress myself about getting every single thing lined up; instead, I'll do what I can and be flexible with the rest. As I write this, I'm a week away from attending the Teachers for Global Classrooms (TGC) Symposium in Washington, D.C. I have SO many questions to ask! I am intensely curious about the world, and want to be as culturally prepared as possible. I've learned about a lot of the languages, the religions, the food (CANNOT WAIT OT TRY IT ALL), the concept of terenga, and the geography. But for those of you who have been, what can you share to help me get prepared for this trip? |
April 6, 2026
Less than a week to go! My bags are packed save for some last minute things, and it feels so surreal that we're at this point.
Our Senegal group is an *amazing* group of folks! We hit it off so well at the Symposium and our WhatsApp group chat has been active since then. We have shared reading suggestions, ideas for our students, and questions about all the vaccines. It's so nice to know that there are other folks going through this experience with me, and they're all so incredibly open and willing to share their thoughts.
Speaking of vaccines, if you're interested in the TGC program, please budget for vaccine costs. They will be out of pocket and could be a surprise amount if you're not ready. Plus, it's hard to find them! I tried my doctor, the infectious disease office at the local hospital, and our local health department... all to no avail. A neighboring health clinic had what I needed, luckily. All in all it took about 3 weeks to get the shot appointment set up and actually administered, at a cost of roughly $500 out of pocket, and another roughly $500 billed to insurance for those considered routine. Our group made note that none of us expected it to be that pricey (all of ours were about the same if not more), so I'm jotting it down here for you who may be reading this blog.
In less than a week, we'll be in Dakar and I almost can't believe it!
Less than a week to go! My bags are packed save for some last minute things, and it feels so surreal that we're at this point.
Our Senegal group is an *amazing* group of folks! We hit it off so well at the Symposium and our WhatsApp group chat has been active since then. We have shared reading suggestions, ideas for our students, and questions about all the vaccines. It's so nice to know that there are other folks going through this experience with me, and they're all so incredibly open and willing to share their thoughts.
Speaking of vaccines, if you're interested in the TGC program, please budget for vaccine costs. They will be out of pocket and could be a surprise amount if you're not ready. Plus, it's hard to find them! I tried my doctor, the infectious disease office at the local hospital, and our local health department... all to no avail. A neighboring health clinic had what I needed, luckily. All in all it took about 3 weeks to get the shot appointment set up and actually administered, at a cost of roughly $500 out of pocket, and another roughly $500 billed to insurance for those considered routine. Our group made note that none of us expected it to be that pricey (all of ours were about the same if not more), so I'm jotting it down here for you who may be reading this blog.
In less than a week, we'll be in Dakar and I almost can't believe it!
Coming soon: Teacher and student travel opportunities here