Preparation....

---

Just over a week to go before I embark on what my family say will be a trip of a lifetime - I'm going to Beijing, China to take part as a foreign volunteer at Tsinghua University, helping, along with other native English speakers, Chinese university students to improve their English skills.

My sister has been helping me to get my toiletries ready, and has already agreed to help me with sorting out clothing and packing - I'm sure she expects payment for her help!!

All I can say is that I'm very excited about going - my visa, flights and travel insurance are all sorted, so all I need to do is make sure that I get to the airport and check-in on time, and then it's 'Bon Voyage!!'

I hope to keep family and friends up-to-date on my shenanigans and my trips to various tourist attractions around the city over the five weeks that I am there.

I welcome any comments from them - except for 'I hope you're washing behind your ears' (Yes mum, I mean you :P)

I'll leave it at that for now - the next time you hear from me on here I'll be sweltering in the humidity of the Asian continent.

😊

---