so i made it! i'm alive, lacking sleep, but alive. :) the compound i am staying on is gorgeous. huge, too! all of the people in the program are amazing...i feel like i am the least experienced here, which is probably true. the sun is just coming up so right now is the first time i am actually seeing africa. last night it was so dark by the time we got here i couldn't see anything. you haven't seen dark 'til you've been here, TRUST ME. no sleep has come yet, but i'm trying. after staying up all night with my roomate, i think tonight will be no problem. my roomate is a student from washington university named Jamie. she's a lot like me so i have a feeling we'll get along :) this is gonna be a blast! now if i could just remember some of my kiswahili...anyway, feel free to e-mail me at olivia.swanson@gmail.com or just comment on this blog. have a good one kids and tutaonana baadaye!!