Two Posts In One

Part One.

As I wave goodbye to my mother and my two best friends for what could be a year, tears form in my eyes.  Am I really doing this? I feel a sense of regret about the whole thing. I don’t want to go. I’m leaving everything I know... everything I love. I know I will enjoy it, but I feel home sick when I haven’t even left them yet so how will I feel when I’m actually there or even worse, in two months time!?  I run back, giving them another hug before bursting into tears. Like an infection, my tears cause them to cry simultaneously.  You never know how important people are to you until you have to leave them.

Lunch on the airplane

As I write this, I sit in the airport at Portugal as we stop there for four hours.  I’m excited, nervous and a little sick. I haven’t had a great start to the day.  I was physically sick on the way to the airport, which was pretty embarrassing as I didn’t even make it to the lift, let alone the bathroom. Then I apparently didn’t have enough documents for my visa. After hours of putting money into a machine, trying to understand why it wouldn’t print, I had to just risk it or risk missing my flight. They didn’t even check if I had any document in the end! All the time I could have spent with my mother and my best friends wasted. I must admit, I miss them so much, but I know it will worth it. I find myself wondering what they are doing right now. I’m especially anxious about leaving my mother as this is the first time she’ll be living alone in 27 years as my father passed away from cancer this year. The reality of his illness didn’t hit me for a while, but the closer I get to leaving, the more I feel it. I questioned whether or not I should go several times, but my mother being the amazing person she is, encouraged me to go. Her words exactly were “at least I’ll be losing a family member for a good reason this time”. If you know my mother then you know she is the kindest sweetest person you’ll ever meet. By the time you read this, I’ll probably be in Senegal, but until then au revoir!

Part Two.

They rest of the day was amazing. It is marvellous here...The sun, the beach, the food. I adore this place.

The food alone shows the effects the French has on this African country.  For breakfast, we had baguettes and for lunch we had a traditional Senegalese cuisine called Ceebu Jen. 

Ceebu Jen

   ‘Ceeb’ is  rice in Wolof and ‘Jen’ is fish.  The other volunteers claim that it is very spicy, but I can’t really taste it. 

We also went to the beach and enjoyed the African sun. Many locals came to talk to us and sell to us. 

 

As my French is so poor I’ve been saying the wrong things to them! I didn’t understand why they wouldn’t leave me alone when I told them that I had no money for them. It took me the whole day to realise that what I was saying was absolutely wrong.  What I said was neither French nor Wolof. Typical Precious

 Au revoire (French) &  Be benen yoon (Wolof) 

"I'm okay today. I'll be okay tomorrow. And the next day after that I'll still be okay. But in a year you will see me, I'll be amazing." - Unknown

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields 

and until we meet again, 

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

- old Irish saying

Take A Deep Breath And Enjoy Your Life

At Summer Stampede: Mumford & Sons, Haim, Vampire Weekend, ect

I'm trying very hard to enjoy my time in England, but it is getting rather daunting. I want to be gone! I want to be enjoying the African sun. Yes, I'm not the biggest fan of the heat, but that's besides the point. All the other volunteers are slowly disappearing off to their country and the days seem to be getting longer and longer. There's only two weeks left, but it feels further away now than it did a few months ago. Maybe I didn't think it would ever get this far or maybe I just didn't acknowledge what I was actually doing. I'm going to Africa for a year!  Twelve months. 52 weeks. 365 days. 8765 hours. 525949 minutes. 31,557,600 seconds.  I couldn't be more excited. I feel like this month has been the slowest month ever, yet I feel like I don't have enough time to do all I want to do, it's crazy. It won't feel real until I'm actually there though.

VIP

"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." - T. S. Eliot

The people I will be going to Senegal with plus our desk officer. My partner is on the far right.

I was often told that training would be intense - 'You'll learn everything you need to know in a small amount of time'. I must admit, this was an understatement. By the end of the week I was physically and mentally drained. The mix between being given information, preparing us for all obstacles and lack of sleep really took a toll on me; however, all aspects of training was clearly needed. 

I didn't make it to the beach, but the others are clearly enjoying
the new jumpers!

Before the Ferry back to mainland

The final evening

I'm sure this is the same for most volunteers, but a week of training really helps you realise that this is really happening. You are really going away for a year. No mummy to call when you forget your key, no best friend to help you make an instant decision, just you and your new found independence. Training has helped me find a healthy balance between being ready for anything, being scared and being excited. I feel like this year will be a life changing experience where I will really learn who I am and who exactly I want to be. I've still got another week of  IT training with my partner soon then it's all up to us. This is our year!

What?

donate + more info : uk.virginmoneygiving.com/preciousadesina
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Blog: www.itsjustprecious.blogspot.com
Project Trust's Website: www.projecttrust.org.uk

"My life is my message." Mahatma Gandhi

What does it mean to live? What does it mean to live a successful life? Who judges when a life is successful? To me, true success is achieving that goal that felt so out of reach that you almost gave up.

Movie: How To Steal A Million (1966)

Words cannot describe how much of an amazing classic this is. Audrey Hepburn, France, amazing art, what else do you want?

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

So I've come back from Scotland! I went there for a bit of fun,
 a bit of a uni visit, a bit of sightseeing and a bit of training
for my gap year. Such a great week and  half. More on it soon! 

The poem below represents my new found freedom. I'm leaving
soon and I'm starting to feel like I'm in control of my life! It seems as
 if everything is happening so fast and I love it.

I hope you're enjoying life too :)

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

What's new in your life that is making you smile?