21st 8:30 am

I got my Amsterdam flight fine, it was a good flight, only 50 minutes. Amsterdam is so pretty from the sky, we could see the sunrise on the way, and then on the descent the sun was rising over the sea! I tried to get a picture, but the flight attendane came on the intercom reminding us not to. she was going through everything in that monotone voice and when she said 'please be careful when opening the over head bins as luggage may fall out unexpentantly' However I heard 'luggage may fall out on your face' and then promptly started laughing like a weirdo.

When I could see the airport, I noticed loads of small canals running everywhere - in like a field system, they had these mini canals instead of fences. Ive just come through security in Amsterdam, its such a massive airport, called schitpol. It took me like 25 minutes to walk to my gate.

In the departure lounge, there were 3 American guys chatting, I like the american accent, but they were just so loud! One of them got up for a walk about and as he left he said 'if im not back in 5 minutes... wait longer' I chuckled because it reminded me of the old website (like FML) that was mostly Americans posting, and all they talked about was neurf guns and wall mart, any way the guy was still funny.

21st 5:20 am

The next entrys are just my uneditied diary entries, so please dont judge the way I write or the things I say (or the appauling spelling mistakes) ...

Ooohh my first diary entry, how exciting! I'm sat in Leeds Bradford airport in the Danby Bar - no I'm not having a pint. Unfortunately I'm sat writing notes on simple harmonic motion; oh thankyou Mr Hannard for my holiday gift (there are swings at the orphanage, so ill be able to do the other part of my holiday homework).

By trying to save battery life on my ipod im putting up with the airport music; the Irish Jig at the moment. When I left dad I cried, (kept it together when I said goodbye to mum, otherwise she would have cried too) I couldnt help it, he gave me a big bear hug and I filled up. Im fine now though, don't know my gate number yet, so chillerrrrr for now.

4 Days Left

So, 4 days and counting till ill be jetting off to Tanzania! Oh my gosh I am so afraid, and not of the flying (love flying, always have) not of Africa or the cultures but of the actual airport! What if I get lost? What if I get arrivals and departures mixed up like I always do? What if I loose my luggage? What if I can’t find my seat? Can you tell I’m panicking?

On top of all this I have to apply to university by Friday which is also the day I go, good date clash guys good date clash. I will be sending that off this week and then BAM my life is officially changed. Anyway, I digress. I am nearly packed, well if I was taking my bedroom floor with me, I would be. I literally have everything laid out but an empty suitcase!

Before I go, I’d like to let everyone who reads this blog know; the lone reader, that whilst I’m at Peace Matunda, I will try my best to post online. If however the internet connection is bad, or I am so busy I just don’t have time, Elise Shepherd my adopted god mother has bought me a lovely journal, which I will be writing in every step of the way, so it shall be copied up to this blog for the entire world to see on my return. Do check the blog just in case I manage to post a few times.

As my last post before I leave I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who helped me fund raise, who supported me through the application process, who donated money to help make it possible, who have donated clothing and toys for me to take out and who have listened to me ramble on about it all over and over. I can’t list everyone who’s helped because there are too many to name, but they all should know how truly thankful I am for their help.

Any ideas?

Wow, this is starting to feel real now! Just under a month until I go, and nearly everything is done. I have just paid the orphanage Peace Matunda for my placement and my transfer; I could have just got a taxi, but I figured if they get more money from it why not get Sean (the volunteer co-ordinator out there) to pick me up, at least I will have spoke to someone English before I arrive.

All I’m waiting on now is my visa. It got delivered, but typical post man came when we weren’t in, so its gone back to some random place, so I have to go pick it up. After that all the necessaries are done and now I can focus on raising as much money as I possibly can to get things to take out with me, or buy out there in Arusha, that the orphanage needs; we complain about the keys being missing on a school computer, and they are guaranteed to have books to write in, or even a pen to write with!

Anyway, I’ve emailed Sean asking what sort of stuff they need, but any suggestions from people would be helpful.

Thanks in advance J

Proud but scared

Ok, so I admit my summer may have taken me away from my blog slightly, but I have done plenty since I last wrote, and I swear I’m back for good now. So Eco Kids has finished, and we raised just over £700, which is FANTASTIC. Over summer I managed to get loads more sponsors, off friends and family, and am planning to get some more soon (yes that’s you readers!)

I have now got nearly everything sorted to go, since it only 6 weeks away! Today I plan to apply for my visa, with the extra, unexpected day of freedom I got from sixth form. However, it may not happen as there seems to be a million and one things to do before I go back. I promise to try though. One of the most important things I need to do, is to book my transfer out in Tanzania. Otherwise, picture this; me, in Kilimanjaro airport, clutching my bag with nowhere to go but out on to the unfamiliar streets. So, yeah I’m going to book that now.

I can only say that because after my holiday a few days ago, with a group of close friends, I realised just how scary airports are. And then I got scared. I think this whole time I have been concentrating on how much good I plan to do, and how much of an experience it will be, that when people say ‘Are you not scared?’ or ‘Your so brave for doing all that on your own.’ I’ve just nodded along, kidding myself into believing I aren’t scared, or nervous, but I guess I am. And proud, there I said it.

Look out for more posts, since my blog follows my Duke of Edinburgh award too!

Day 19 in the Big Brother House

EcoKids is coming to a close soon, so ill be photographing it daily, because thats how sad I am.

I took one today...

Day 19

Fingers crossed we will get a tonne, but ill keep you all posted on how its doing.

Today I've been a busy bee; I got in and made 2 batches of cupcakes with Chloe, then I went to the doctors to get the final Hep A jab of 3, it really hurt and I can't even lift my arm! Then after all that I went to volunteer work; I volunteer in a group called Beeston Action for Families every Monday evening, its a group for disabled adults to socialise and play some games. It started as part of my Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award, but I continued going after the year had been signed off, because I got to know everyone there.

The group doing some chair aerobics

Look out for my next post on EcoKids!

Bake Sales

So after all that baking it was time to say goodbye to all the pretty colourful buns and sell them on to worthy homes.

We did one bun sale at Fountain Primary for teachers and staff only, which went well, we raised around £80 from that, so thank you to everyone who bought some.

There was a downside to this bun sale however; Karl and I decided to go to the primary school after lessons had finished and sell some of the left over buns to parents of the children.

Someone somewhere really didn’t want me to sell these buns because as soon as we set up outside in the sunshine, got all the buns laid out on the table and all the signs pinned up or taped down, the rain came in! It absolutely chucked it down, literally torrential rain, right over the moments where all the school children were leaving and all the parents were walking in and out. Then as soon as everyone left and we were packing up and calling it a day, the sun came out. Typical.

The buns that didn’t get sold at Fountain Primary were sold the day after at a church fair. Thank you to anyone who bought buns for all there kids or grandkids. And a big thank you to those people who gave donation without actually buying anything, your generosity was overwhelming! One lady came and asked for a leaflet on what I was doing, and in return gave me a £10 note, how kind?!

I raised about £35 from the church fair, and £130 from my neighbour’s work. So that went on to pay for my vaccinations through Superdrug which I had last week.

I plan on doing more bake sales at my school and anywhere else that will have me!

Other News

I booked my flights recently with Thomas Cook; from Leeds-Bradford to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Nairobi, Nairobi to Kilimanjaro, and the same on the way back. The journey will take approximately 14 hours, just over a day!

Look out for more updates, as I’m getting lots of stuff booked at the moment.