The Journey Begins...

Hello everyone! Or should that be goodbye...?

I'm leaving this evening to begin my journey towards the remote Paramakatoi. I don't quite know how I feel about this yet. It seems so far away and yet I'm counting the hours (seven) until I leave my home, my friends and my family, not to mention the many comforts and luxuries I have become so used to in my few years in our society. I really can't explain the excitement and anticipation which has been brewing inside me for close to four months now. All I have to say is that I am forever grateful to everyone who helped me along the way, I know there is absolutely no chance that I would even be contemplating going on this trip if I hadn't had your support. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I don't know how to tell you how much this means to me.

I don't know if you've ever tried fitting a year's worth of clothes, shoes, toiletries and teaching materials, along with about five years of memories, into a 65L rucksack without exceeding 23kg. No easy feat. It is, however, in a way embarrassing, to think how many things and belongings we feel we need to have. My room is full of boxes upon boxes of things that I thought I needed. Things I use once in a lifetime but don't want to throw away for fear of facing an occasion when I will have to think, "if only I'd kept that a month longer", or "I gave this away last week!" and then grudgingly buying another. To be quite honest, I wouldn't be surprised if when I return I bear a bag of weight maybe 10kg, and still think I won't use the majority of it again. I'm sure my mum would be more than happy if this was the case.

So my epic journey:

I will get a bus to Glasgow this evening, where I will stay with my Project Trust partner, Emily. In the morning we will fly down to Gatwick, to arrive at about eight in the morning, check in, and then fly from Gatwick to Barbados at midday, arriving at about half past eight in the evening, GMT. We will then wait about five hours in Barbados airport, before flying to Georgetown, to arrive at about half past ten, Guyana time. So about half past three in the morning, our time. I will be in Georgetown until the 9th of September, when I fly to Paramakatoi. From then on it's letters only, and the beginning of my year as a teacher.

I will try to post another update during my stay in Georgetown to let you know I got there safely.

Just a quick word - if you send me a letter, please print the address on a big, white sticker on the envelope, then it is more likely to get there. Sorry if I'm repeating myself, but this is quite important.

So all there is left to say is - please keep checking my blog and have a fantastic year!

Lots of love,

Antje

xxx