And it is the start...

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The start
Nathalie Vallee Today is the actual start of this weird trip thingy. I found out yesterday that my departure date for Burkina Faso is on Semptember 16th. It is getting close. It's also getting real.

For those of you who might not know, I was suposed to leave at the beginning of June for a placement in Sri Lanka with WUSC (World University Services of Canada). This co-op opportunity was cancelled 3 weeks before the departure by the University for safety reasons. I would have gone personally. But apparently there is something out there, a little Je-ne-sais-quoi, who wanted me to go to Burkina Faso. This whole " I'm supposed to go to Burkina Faso" thing started long before the cancellation of my placement in Sri Lanka. Here is the short story.

During my first year at the University in Toronto, I met another girl from Quebec, in the same program as myself (IDS), but she was a year ahead of me. Her name is Emmanuele. In March 2006, I randomly met her in the hallway of the school and she invited me to her birthday party. Sounds like fun! Until I ask her when her birthday is. She replied Italic Text "March 22nd". No freaking way! My birthday is the same date! And she was turning 22 as well. It's then that we realized we were both born on March 22nd, 1985. Already, that's pretty cool. But wait! There is more...

So we put everything together and starting to think (and freak out). We were born on the same day, both came from Quebec and ended up in Toronto at UTSC, in the same program. Oh! Should I mention that there are only 25 people accepted in my program each year! That makes it even more freaky!

But wait! That's not all! Since she was a year ahead of me, she thus left on her co-op placement in the summer of 2006 while I still had a year of University to go through while my cosmic twin was going to travel the world. But where did she go?? Guess what... BURKINA FASO! Yes! That's what I was talking about! We're following each other's lives and it's weird. Or is it me following her? Anyhow..

Before the offer for Sri Lanka came up, I heard that Oxfam-Quebec was interested in me for a position in Burkina. I really wanted to go, but then the offer for Sri Lanka came up and I had to reply to them as my offer by Oxfam was not serious enough YET. And it's a month later that I hear about the cancellation and that the "Oh Gosh! I need another placement" thingy happened.

And I ended up back to Burkina, only with a different organization this time.

It's a weird start. Somewhat complicated for live through. It kinda felt like a rollercoaster sometimes. But I think I can proudly say today that I'm finally excited about this trip to Ouagadougou. I've always dreamed of Africa. The people that know me the best would probably even say that I did more than just dreaming of it 😊. I know.. I know..

But now.. It's the real thing guys!!!

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Comments

[Kristelle]

un je-ne-sais-quoi
Salut la soeur! Ca me fait bien rire que tu plogues des expressions francophones dans ton texte anglo... un je-ne-sais-quoi! Ca prouve que c'est ben plus hot le français! (bien que j'ai dit hot dans ma phrase...) bref. C'est cool ton blogue! J'ai hâte d'en lire plus! ta soeur xxx

[Emanuele]

Ta jumelle cosmique
Silut Nath! Wow! It's really strange to READ this story - it's always been so... verbal before! Anyways I'm totally amazed by the course of the events and am so freaking sure that going to Burkina is such an amazing luck; not only are you still following me but you'll have the time of your life. Burkina rocks! Keep your news coming! Em. (Btw can't believe you can't spell my name right after all these things happen!)