Prep Work

Flights - check!

Vaccinations - check!

Volunteer fee - check!

Fundraising - check!

Mt Kilimanjaro booking, flights to Arusha and Zanizibar, purchase of 100 Cliff bars for comfort food, orphanage placement, etc. etc. - pending until further notice...

The countdown is on! In one month Rob and I will embark on a life changing journey through the beautiful country of Rwanda. Some would think that a month is ample time to prepare for a trip of such sorts given everything that we have already done, yet trying to get organized between our busy schedules is proving rather difficult. Rob has much more preparation to do as he will be teaching the anesthesiology residents within the hospital in Kigali and I will be volunteering in an orphanage in Kigali for one month. I believe his teaching subjects are a little more challenging than my nursery rhymes to say the least :) After our time in Rwanda we will be (fingers crossed) climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and spending a few days in Zanzibar. Yaaaa Africa!

I can honestly say at this point I am just full of excitement and am extremely eager to get on that plane and meet the beautiful people of Rwanda. There has been times that I have been struck with feelings of anxiety and discomfort knowing that this is going to be a very challenging experience as much as it will be rewarding. These fears mainly came when I realized that I will be staying an hour away from Rob and that there is general elections which will occur near the end of our stay. Stress - CHECK! Yet after spending my morning reading fellow volunteers blogs from their experience in the orphanages and schools of Rwanda, that ball of nerves has been replaced with positive energy and excitement. Also, no need to worry about the elections nervous family members. They are not until August 9th and we will be gone to Tanzania by then.

I feel so extremely blessed to have so much support from so many amazing people. My fundraising campaign was a huge success and I was able to raise my full volunteer fee! The generosity from people is overwhelming and brings me gushes of warm fuzzies. I am very lucky to have such amazing people in my life. I have decided that I will take $200 from my fundraising to sponsor two children through school for a year.

Well, I better stop blogging and get to working. Watching an episode on Rwanda from Departures is important prep work, right? If anyone wants to check it out online here's the link --> http://www.oln.ca/?bclid=34540927001. I will be updating this blog as often as possible in hopes of keeping loved ones well informed of our travels.

Much Love and Hugs

Ash