So it's one week to go...

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It's a regular Tuesday night, I've just had a nice warm shower and I'm watching Foxtel (Pay TV) and got my bitchy fill, in watching 'Australia's Next Top Model'... and inside, I am freaking out!

I'm 24 and I'm going to Ghana for 3 months. Yeah, I am used to leaving my family... But only for 1 month stints and even then, I manage to see my sister in New York so it ends up only being 2 weeks away from family. I can't help but think, here I am, relishing in all my luxuries and being able to chill out with my family and then here are these kids that I'm about to meet that have never known a family other than the fellow children that were left behind or abandoned.

Sounds a little dramatic hunh? But, this is what I am about to face in a weeks time. I work full time and I study part time at Deakin University. The degree I'm going to get is 'Bachelor of Arts (International Relations)'. It's definitely an exciting course with a major in International Politics and two minors in Middle Eastern State, Society and Politics and Indonesian Language. It's definitely a mix of everything, but hey, the more I know, the more I understand.

So one of the subjects I picked was to spend 3 months overseas, in whatever I wanted. With so many global opportunities, Deakin Uni allows you to make your own adventure. All I knew, was that I wanted to focus on the AIDS/HIV epidemic and get into the thick of it. I hear about others taking the easier option of going to Europe and studying or going to America and interning with a corporate company. But I want to see it for my own eyes and to challenge my own beliefs.

Then I came across STAESA (Students Travel & Exposure South Africa). I the applied for an Internship and I was placed in Ghana in the Volta Region. I'll be working at the orphanage and the local hospital in the maternity ward. I don't know what to expect at all and unfortunately, my boyfriend cops all the stress attacks I have been getting in the past few weeks. It's not that I'm scared to travel on my own and explore, it's that I am scared of who I am going to be afterwards. It's tough to explain on here (especially while having the silly Jessica Simpson movies 'Employee of the Month' playing in the background), but I guess I am scared to learn about how I will react to these new situations.

My intention, is for this blog to translate my stress/adventures/happiness/tears etc with stories and accompanying photos, internet/electricity allowing of course!

I hope you enjoy these stories and I think the next blog will be pre-departure/night before jitters. Possibly, it may not make much sense to you, but it will make sense to me.

So be good, be safe and smile
x
M.

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