I have a lot of emotions around my trip. When you build something up in your mind for so long, it is hard not to get anxious. Will I like it there? Will the smell be that strong? Is there really no AC? They want me to urinate where?
I received an email last week from Global Volunteers, the group I will be volunteering with. The email contained some Frequently Asked Questions. I immediately opened it and then immediately closed it.....I wasn't ready for the answers. I like my comforts, I like my routines, my espresso, my phone, my Golden Girls. I was worried the FAQs would be filled with answers I wasn't ready for. For some of you hemp seed eatin', flint carrying, know-how-to-set-up-a-tent people - this may seem silly to you. But for me, a day without my Clarisonic is just about as close as I have come to Naked and Afraid style roughing it.
One of my biggest concerns is not what you may think - traveling alone to a foreign country; but rather, sharing a room with a stranger. I barely like sharing a room with my husband. I can't possibly deal with small talk, snoring, night gas and a lack of Investigation Discovery soothing me to sleep. When I first considered applying for the trip my first question to the agency wasn't noble, "What can I do to help?", it was "Can I pay more for a single room?". The answer was no, I considered turning my dream trip into a shopping spree at Nordstrom instead.
Another concerns is the laundry situation, which is to hand wash and line dry. Um, really? That sounds exhausting. I will just be dirty and/or buy new clothes and leave my old ones there. I don't have the upper body strength to hand wash.
Water - I barely remember where I parked my car, in the driveway, let alone remembering not to drink the water when brushing my teeth or dining out. I'm already worried about the constant Indian food killing my stomach, I can't possibly add water to that list.
Lack of phone/Internet service - apparently the closest Internet service is 3+ blocks away at an Internet cafe. The only cafes I like to be in are those with chocolate pastries. How can I possibly survive two weeks without regularly sent snarky texts to my girlfriends?
No matter my concerns, I know this trip will be amazing and I am doing it for the children I will be working with - but leaving some of the comforts of home is slightly terrifying.
But then again, when is checking anything off your bucket list easy? But you know what, my pencil is sharp and I'm ready to go.
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