Orientation Week

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Orientation week is coming to a close, and I've found myself with a free hour. This past week has been exhilarating, nerve wracking, and exhausting.

The days have been filled with ice breaker activities - (one especially memorable one involved directing your blind folded teammates through an obstacle course by giving them left and right directions,) speeches from teachers - (I especially liked the Sex, Drugs, and Water talk. It's still not entirely clear why water was part of that talk,) and long nights of talking.

We also made a trip to a game reserve, a traditional Swazi village, and the eSwatini glass factory.

I've made friends faster than I thought possible, and sometimes I have to remind myself that I've only been here a week, and don't actually know these people yet. It feels like we've been here for months already, but the days still feel very long.

I think everyone is still settling in and testing the waters, but it's already a very close group. This morning, it was someone's birthday. Her friends starting signing happy birthday, and by the end of the song the entire cafeteria was shouting along and finished by banging on the tables until the cafeteria staff gave us dirty looks.

Classes start on Tuesday, and we have a week of test classes before we're issued our official schedules. I'm excited to keep finding friends, and getting to know the ones I have better, but I'm also grateful for the time I get alone to reflect on the events of the past week. My UWC journey is just beginning, and I couldn't be more excited.

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