Reflection: Week One

Each week we will ask our students a question to guide them in reflecting on their journey and to offer you, family and friends, a little glimpse into their experience of life here in Tanzania.

For the first week, we want to know their headspace as they prepared for life in Tanzania: What did you most anticipate your time through the CIEE HSSA program in Iringa, Tanzania and, on the flip side, what made you most nervous?

“On this trip, I was most excited about learning about a new culture and playing soccer with the young girls. I've always loved learning about new cultures and I was excited to learn about tanzania. I was most nervous about staying with a host family because that’s something I've never done, but i’ve had a great experience so far!”

Zahra A.

“I was most excited to play soccer with the girls and go on a safari. I was most nervous to meet my host family and for the language barrier.”

Sierra C.

“I was nervous about meeting the family and everyone in our group. I thought people around knew each other and were going be cliquey and wasn’t looking forward to that. I was most excited for playing soccer again and connecting with the girls we were going to meet while staying here. I was also excited to just be in Africa!”

Olivia G.

“The thing I was excited about was being immersed in a new culture because it seemed like an incredible opportunity to learn about a place that I really didn’t know much about. Initially, I was nervous about the language barrier I would face with my host family because I had never been to a country where I wasn’t able to communicate with the people around me.”

Zara E.

“I was most excited to travel to a new country where I did not know much about. I was most nervous about trying new foods and staying with a family I did not know beforehand.”

Bryan R.

“I was most nervous about meeting my host family, what they would think of me, accidentally doing something that is considered rude. I was most excited about getting to know a completely new culture that I knew barely anything about and getting to meet and play soccer with the girls everyday!”

Becca C.

A weekly reflection prompt created and facilitated by program leader, McKenzie Paterson