Just in case any of you were still unaware of the fact, I’m off to Ecuador on Monday. My first three days there will be spent in the capital, Quito, and will most likely be spent wrestling with jetlag, seeing the sights and stocking up on day-to-day essentials before heading out to the coast next Friday. There I’ll be doing a one-month course in organic agriculture at the Rio Muchacho Organic Farm (www.riomuchacho.com), followed by a further 2-4 weeks volunteering on the farm, a few weeks travelling around the rest of Ecuador, and a two-week group tour of Peru to round it all off.
Right now I’m frantically getting all my gear together and packing all my belongings into boxes to go into the attic while I’m away, as I’ll be renting out my flat while I’m gone. Those of you who know me well will no doubt be able to imagine what a state I’m in at the moment as a result of once again having left everything to the last minute. It’s all loosely under control though and I’ve sorted the most important things, such as vaccinations, insurance and flights.
However, this is not stopping me from losing sleep due to nerves and excitement. I’m certainly looking forward to the next three months and am positive that I’ve made the right decision in going away. What’s really beginning to tug at my tummy now is the realisation that I won’t be seeing or regularly speaking to any of my family or friends for quite some time. As independent as I am and as much as I need time on my own, the prospect of spending three months without my nearest and dearest is now seeming more than a little daunting. There’s one person in particular that I will very sorely miss – you know who you are. Nevertheless, I refuse to let homesickness get the better of me and intend to fill my time with new experiences and challenges, which I’ll tell you all about any time I’m near an internet café. So watch this space!
