The Privilege of Being Able to Travel

I just came from the travel clinic where I received my 2nd Hepatitis A/B booster, giving me 90% immunity before my trip.  To date I have spent well over $800 just on my travel vaccines.  When I first responded to the email about this class and the associated trip, I jumped at the chance, but I honestly had no idea how expensive it would be.

The class was limited to 12 participants, I'm very blessed to be able to go, and I have a different understanding about how costly it is to travel internationally.  I'm aware that for subsequent trips I won't have to spend as much on vaccines (2 of my 4 give lifetime immunity), but it's still an expense that can make travel difficult.

I recognize that I've felt some irritation with some of my classmates at the amount of international traveling they've been able to do. People spend money on the things they want to do, and they budget accordingly, but while I've never been rich by any means, I've generally been fairly comfortable.  I've finally reached the point in my adulthood where I've been able to take a vacation every year, although always domestic, but it takes a fair amount of planning on my part.  It amazes me that there are people in my age range who routinely fly overseas, to multiple countries.  It honestly makes me wonder "how?"  I wouldn't say I am doing anything wrong, I absolutely love my life, but even when I had a job that paid very well, I'm not sure I felt I could afford an international trip.

Most people don't get opportunities like this South Africa trip.  A lot of people will never step foot out of their country, or even their state.  The factors that affect that aren't just financial, they're also social and educational.  There are people who don't see the value in travel, people who are unable to place value on something like travel when their everyday needs aren't met.  There are those who are afraid or unable to travel alone, who have factors in their lives that prevent them from getting passports.  I can't help but wonder how the world would be different if more people had experience outside of their "bubble;" if the various countries of the world were more than just documentaries, pictures in books and magazines, and locations on maps.

I'm thankful to the friends and family who helped me make this trip.  I couldn't have done it without them, and it is something I will never forget. I hope to be in the position soon to help others do the same.  Community is so important to me, and so necessary to help others learn and grow.  I may expound on topic later, when I've had some time to think more about what I want to say.

11 days to go!
Camielle

Countdown to Cape Town!!

In 23 days I will be embarking on my first trip to Africa!  My trip is a part of my Social Justice & Social Work in South Africa course at the University of Denver, a part of my Master of Social Work degree, and I am feeling a plethora of emotions.  To the best of my ability, I am going to blog about my experience here, starting with the countdown to my departure and the complex feelings I am experiencing.  I'm not 100% sure what my internet access will be once I am in Cape Town, so I will be journaling on paper as well in case I am unable to do so here.  This blog is going to be very honest, and I understand that may not always be comfortable for my readers.  As a Black woman, Social Worker and graduate student, matters of power, privilege, and oppression are always at the forefront of my mind, and I am going to face those issues during this trip in ways that I have not experienced before.  Cape Town, S. A., post-apartheid, remains a very segregated city, not just between Blacks and whites, but between Black and Colored people as well, a distinction I wasn't aware existed prior to this class.  I intend for this blog to be as authentic as possible, so while I am sure there will be fun, lighthearted posts (especially about food, I love to eat!), there will also be a great deal about my feelings as I travel to my destination, perceptions of my classmates who are also on this trip, and general impressions about the country, the culture, and the people.

You may be wondering why my feelings and emotions about this trip are so complex.  Of the 11 students taking this trip, I am the only Black student, and one of only two women of color.  I did not find this out until the first day of the class, when I learned that another Black woman in my cohort, with whom I have shared classes, would not be able to attend.  My initial reservations began during that first class, not only because there were so many faces that did not look like mine, but also because most of the class have led lives much more privileged than my own, especially financially.  I am the only person in my class that has not been off the continent of North America, while the majority of my classmates have traveled to 10+ countries.  I also have many classmates who have the financial means to stay in South Africa longer than the duration of the trip for leisure, while accumulating the funds to pay for this opportunity has taken a great deal of work, many calls and emails to my school's financial aid department, and the kindness of relatives and friends willing to donate to my cause.

I am pleased to have found camaraderie with the other woman of color on my trip, an Indigenous American woman with whom I have had classes and completed group work.  We have spoken about our upcoming trip a few times and she has expressed sentiments similar to my own.  We will be roommates on this trip, and I think we will both find solace in being able to create safe space for ourselves.  The Teaching Assistant for this trip is also a Black woman, and I have been fortunate enough to be able to meet with her 1:1 to express my frustrations and concerns.  She had a similar experience when she took this trip as a student a few years ago, so she understands where I'm coming from and I've found that validating.  I know I will need to process quite a bit over the next 3 weeks as well as once I'm in South Africa, especially since we will be together as a group the majority of the time.

I fully recognize how blessed I am to have this opportunity, and I am extremely excited for it. However, I also know that there are many things about this trip and spending 2 weeks in the close proximity of people with whom I am having difficulty relating that will test my patience and my ability to truly hold people in unconditional positive regard, something that is extremely important to me in my life and in my professional practice.

If you choose to follow my journey, I hope that you will give me grace.  These posts will likely be fairly raw, and you may sense emotions from me that are not always positive.  I am a student, and as such I am learning every day.  I am aware of my personal biases and my tendency toward reticence when I encounter people who I sense will require emotional labor I am not inclined to allow them.  The three classroom opportunities I have had as we prepare for this trip have shown me this will be the case with multiple of my classmates, and I am already working on myself and my reactions now, while I still have a few weeks before I meet them in person.  These posts are an assignment for my class, but more than that, they are a way for me to record my memories, challenges, and successes, and look back on the growth that I will certainly experience over the next month.

Adventure awaits!
Camielle