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Xandra Coleman

Xandra Coleman is passionate about community outreach on a local and global scale. She is involved in volunteer work, sustainable gardening, and theater while maintaining a strong dedication to her education. Her goals for the year are to learn from and engage in a new culture, become competent in a new language, and gain a global outlook.

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Chapter 9: Welcome to My Yankee Candle Store (Senegal Edition)

Xandra Coleman

2019-01-10

We were floating on the Pink Lake, a lake with a higher salt concentration than the dead sea. Around me, friends were harping on the strong saltine smell, I, on the other hand, closed my eyes and found myself transported to the inside of a Philly Pretzal Factory. Back in September the smell of Lac...

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Chapter 8: My November Christmas

Xandra Coleman

2018-12-06

Brisk knocks on my door awoke me. I agonizingly rolled over to see it was only 7:47 am on a Saturday morning. At the sound of another series of sharp knocks, I rolled out of bed, opened my door, and went to go draw water to wash the coffee cups for breakfast. Sitting on the...

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Chapter 7: Some Cheese for Thanksgiving Dinner

Xandra Coleman

2018-11-21

People tend to be most thankful when they experiance a thing’s absence, addition, or it’s unexpected aid. I am no different. Upon coming to Senegal, I found myself thrusted into a new world where things I’ve always had, I no longer had easy access to, things I’ve never know became common, and in a strange...

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Chapter 6: A Taste of Senegal

Xandra Coleman

2018-11-15

Considering November contains a holiday where the main event is eating a meal with one’s family, I thought it is only fair I focus on the sense of taste this month. When brainstorming for this blog, I realized how difficult it is to capture taste through words on a paper. If someone wants to put...

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Chapter 5: Disclaimer, Duties, and Devotions

Xandra Coleman

2018-10-29

*Disclaimer*: Before I enter into an introduction to my apprenticeships both in this blog and blogs down the road, I hope you will bare with me as I offer a quick disclaimer. I am not in Senegal to make a difference, to swoop in with my privileged angel wings and go aid a people ‘less...

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Chapter 4: The Goats Here, They Burp

Xandra Coleman

2018-10-11

Perhaps my largest intention for this trip is to focus on my personal development and self-discovery. In order to do that, I’ve been told that it is important to become more mindful of one’s surroundings, environment, and self. Therefore, as part of this journey, each month I will be writing one blog focused on one...

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Chapter 3: Gone with the Run

Xandra Coleman

2018-09-27

-A passage adapted from my journal on 23 September 2018- It was one of those days. I’ve been gone away from home for almost a month now, and I had one of those days. For starters, I’ve been perpetually sleep deprived, and, well, we all know how most Colemans, especially me, do on lack of...

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Chapter 2: The New Ways of Doing Old Things

Xandra Coleman

2018-09-20

On my way to being dropped off to my host family for the very first time, amidst an utter lack of traffic lights and street signs, I saw three versions of a stop sign.1. A post holding up the mere metal outline of a stop sign with no hint of red 2. An empty post...

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Chapter 1: Entering the Open Door

Xandra Coleman

2018-08-20

Right now, there is a stupendous pile of objects strewn across my sister’s old room. In fact, ever since Aniqua officially moved out, the room has been slowly assimilated into a preparatory launch pad. A confined world of 40% deet, malaria pills, dollar store band-aids, and loose fitting pants. It is a world I can...

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