All my bags are packed...Ima ready to go...

....well, not really...but I'm close!

So I begin the next great adventure in the life of Ilene Nicole Solomon on Saturday. At 12:01 pm I take off from Austin to Washington DC with a couple hour layover before leaving for South Africa. Twenty-two hours later...I land in Johannesburg. The other student that is going to South Africa, Ayla, and I have a hotel booked near the airport in Jo'burg where we'll be able to have a hot shower, a comfy bed, and breakfast in the morning before the Cloete family picks us up the following day.

The Cloete family started Botshabelo 20 years ago--out of the darkness of apartheid--where Con and Marian (the couple) spent their entire life's savings to care for the children of South Africa. Con and Marian, along with their three adult daughters, their partners, and their children, established Botshabelo as a place where about 150 children without families could have a place to belong. I will also call Botshabelo my home for the next four months, living and working alongside these amazing individuals.

While completing my final semester in my Masters program at the School of Social Work at UT, my role at Botshabelo will be as a Clinical Social Worker intern. There I will participate in therapeutic processes with children of all ages, as well as adults and families in the village that surrounds the orphanage. Though I'm not quite sure what my days will look like...I am certain that my time in South Africa will be an incredible journey filled with joy, challenge, uncertainty, connection, learning, peace, laughter, sadness, and most importantly, growth.

With that said, I will be sharing this once-in-a-lifetime adventure through a blog. I invite you all to read about my time in South Africa and I would love to receive feedback via comments (so I know people are reading!!! :) ). I will also have access to the internet at Botshabelo, so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep me in touch with what is going on for YOU! Your emails mean so much to me and help me stay connected to the life that I am temporarily saying goodbye to in Austin and in the States. Skype is also a GREAT way to keep in touch, so if you have Skype, let me know and I'll add you as a contact and we can have Skype dates! :)

My blog: ilenesouthafrica.blogspot.com

My Skype name: ilenenicole

Although the postal service isn't the most reliable, I will also be able to receive mail:

Ilene Solomon
c/o Botshabelo
PO Box 438
Magaliesburg, Gauteng 1791
South Africa

I've heard to NOT use FedEx, but UPS or the regular postal service and to ALWAYS ask for it to be certified so you can track the package or letter.

I will also be getting a cell phone while I'm there, so be on the look out for updates on that.


While some people say this is all so crazy...I view it as calling. And in the words of the classic South African novel, The Power of One: "in this world are very few things made from logic alone. It is illogical for a man to be too logical. Some things we must just let stand. The mystery is more important than any possible explanation."

Thank you for your friendship, love, encouragement, and blessings. I receive it openly and send it all to you!