This blog is for friends, family members and anyone else interested in reading my ramblings and chronicles of what is sure to be an adventure. Some entries will be short others long. Most will be in order, but other times I will just write down what comes to mind. I daresay that these entries will contain profound revelations, but my goal is that allow you to understand a little bit of what I am experiencing.
Why go to Africa you might be asking. Well, let's just say after numerous job interviews I decided I was not ready for that type of structure in my life quite yet. I am a civil and environmental engineer, or at least that is what my degree from Princeton indicates. My passion is water resources. You may be surprised to know that even with the amazing technology of today, 1 billion people still don't have access to clean drinking water and 2 billion people go without basic sanitation systems. I was surprised when I first learned this and then the surprise turned to concern then to a real feeling that I need to do something about it. I don't know when it happened, but God has placed the issue of water on my heart. If you had asked me a year ago what I would be doing now, preparing to spend 9 months in Africa doing water quality research at the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering probably wouldn't have even made the list. But that is what is so amazing. In the course of four years, under the influence of the incredible academic environment of Princeton, my vision of the world changed dramatically. Or more precisely, my vision of my place in the world changed. Large international environmental and social problems require complex and nuanced solutions. No one person can do it alone. My calling now is to support, research, and eventually lead the work being done the issues related to water resources. That is why I am going to Africa.
