Mmmmm.... a little bit over a year on the road (literally, and living out of a suitcase), (aside from the 6 months I stayed put in Nigeria and the two months in Uganda). Now in preparation to depart, yet again, for more volunteer work, adventure, new life, culture, demands, expectations, lack thereof expections(on my sided) and basically a whole new way of life. Scary uh? In some ways yes, on the other hand no. Constant change, diversty, constant moving/travelling and experiencing new ways of living IS the story of my life. That being the case, Iam not as concerned or consumed with the idea as I would otherwise be. However, my worries now consist of the pre-departure pressures....no time, no money, anxious, over active or hyperactive i don't know. Really excited. Afraid iam gonna forget to accomplish crucial things before departure. I've only done this (pre-departure preparations) for what?... all my life??...but this time, two (2) years away consecutively is longer than i've ever been away from home...Winnipeg...wait, where is my home? Born in Uganda, grew up in Winnipeg, Canada; Lived and studied in Halifax, Novascotia; lived and traveled in various provinces, continents and countries around the world...loved and continue to love every moment of globe trotting, so "home" is, well...home is where the heart is i guess. And my heart is split... loving both the experiences and life of having been born and lived in a "developing" world, and having lived and grown up in a "developed" world (Canada). One cannot help but be affected and take with them, both the advantages and disadvantages of both worlds. As such, I cherish both worlds.
Back to the pre-departure worries and concerns...Currently in Halifax taking care of personal and professional (university) logistics. VSO's Preparing for Change (PFC) training course in Ottawa is over...went well. Next stop is in Birmingham, UK for VSO's SKWID (Skills and Working in Development???) training course. Still to get are my immunization/vaccination shots, cannot do without this, especially for a two-year placement. Get a load of this: Rabies shots (needing 3 of them) are a total of $640 something bucks, that's not including the $20/visit fee!! Talk about staying clear of mammals while overseas...or just getting the frigin vaccination...mmm good thing VSO covers these expenses.
Packing for a two-year placement is not easy, i'll tell ya that, especially when i already have a 'disability' of over packing for ANYTHING, two days, two weeks, two months....this is really gonna be a test for me. Iam conforted by the fact that it is much cheaper to get clothes made in Nigeria, than buying them...and WHAT BEAUTIFUL fabrics, designs and fashion Nigeria has!! So that takes the pressure of clothing. But the other stuff...mmmmm.
Oh yes, student loans, those two lovely student words....Thats' gonna be fun keeping up with the payments while away, since they offer no Interest Relief if one is OUT of the country...yeah, i guess i just couldn't lie about that...tempted, but i didn't. So setting that up, plus other financial responsibilities,RRSPs, GICs, Visas, Power of Attorney over all my finances...wait what finances...I GOT NO MONEY!! "So why don't you stay and first work and pay off your debts?" some people have asked. Well...there is a time for everything. And this is my time to do this, go overseas and contribute, learn, share, experience life and be what my passion calls me to be and do. International Development, and working or volunteering in an environment where, well...life is not exactly the ideal, is in my blood and flows in my veins for as long as I can remember. Seriously. It's amazing what one can learn from or living in "less than ideal" circumstances or for that matter, in what we THINK or percieve to be less than ideal environments, which may surprisingly, not be case where the Nationals or locals are concerned. Lesson learnt over time.
Anyway, soooo getting ready. Will be departing for Nigeria October 9th. Here's hoping that i'll have all the necessities accomplished by then. If not...well....life is not a straight path...we can plan, but the end result is not always the expected result. You learn and you move on.