I just got off the phone with one of my favorite people, Porter. Sadly it was the last time I will hear his voice for quite a while. Porter will be making a very long trip this weekend. To Africa. Specifically Ethiopia. The plane ride from DC to Addis Ababa is 16 hours. It’s such a long plane ride that the plane will have to make a pit stop in Rome to refuel. Because it’s SO far away you can’t even fill up a plane with enough gas to get there. (I suggested that in that amount of time Porter could get drunk on the flight, sober up, have a hangover and recover.)
Clearly, I’m having separation issues…
Luckily, Porter will be making this great leap into irony (if you know Porter you know why him going to Africa is miles beyond ironic) in the company of a few others. Grant, Porter’s heterosexual life partner, is another UNC graduate. Adam is an Economy major from Hampton-Sydney. And Sam is a History major from NC State. Porter majored in Political Science and History.
And here is what I love the most about Porter’s post-collegiate plan; there is no plan! Ok that’s an exaggeration. But these guys are going to Africa with only a rough idea of what they will be doing once they get there. Porter and Sam will be teaching English in some capacity. Grant and Adam will be doing something in community development.
I know these guys are going to be doing some great work and all. And that’s great. And I’m not trying to bash on Ethiopia (interesting note, its got one of the world’s fastest growing economies and with the right government leadership could be a agricultural powerhouse) But I can’t help but wonder what it says about the United State’s economy that 4 college graduates from 3 respected universities believe placing their bets on vague job descriptions in a third world country will give them more opportunities than they would have here….
They aren't jobs; we're volunteering.
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