These are the wonderful 20 other volunteers I will be spending a year overseas in Thailand with, including my partner who I will be living with for the entire year... hopefully adapting to living with another teenager will not take too long! Nicole, my partner, is Scottish which I'm sure can only bring more excitement to the experiences we'll have together - she'll come back speaking slightly 'Essex' and I'll come back mixing Scottish slang with Thai 'fageeze ka.'
Overall, going back to the Isle of Coll for training was another exciting, tiring and intense experience of my preparation for Thailand. I had not remembered much from Selection back in October 2012 so returning was another massive shock to the system - 'Island Syndrome' other volunteers called it. After the 11 hour train journey from Essex to Oban, followed by a 5 hour journey the next day, we arrived on Coll feeling thoroughly exhausted. (Going to the pub in Oban to get to know other volunteers the night before did not help with our tiredness I must admit!) We were then immersed fully into an intense training course put together by the Staff at Project Trust and as well as extremely exciting - learning about Thai customs (never touch a Monk on the head!) - it was also eye-opening and a massive learning curve. There was just so much to take in!
Since returning home from training, I am even more excited to leave for Thailand, if that is even possible! When saying goodbye to the other Thai volunteers after training, "See you in a month," it all suddenly became extremely real. All 20 of us fly from Heathrow at 9.30am on the 29th August. I can only imagine how loud and excitable we will all be at the airport! I have also bought my 75Litre rucksack, my smaller backpack and my money bag which, when I'm wearing it all, completely suffocates me. Now I just need to buy the last few items - insect repellents to ward off those mozzies - and start the enormous task of packing lightly! I have never been an organised or light packer so this will be an adventure in itself I'm sure.
