Change in Plans!

I am proving myself to be really good at blogging. Yea right. I suppose the problem is that I know no one is reading right now, so there is zero motivation to write anything. Also, my plans have changed drastically. It turned out that going to Ghana would put me about $2,000 over my budget. Since any travel this summer will be coming directly out of my pocket, I have to keep my budget very much in mind.

After I realized Ghana was out of my price range, I resigned myself to the idea that I would have to do an internship in some local government office, probably filing papers and answering telephones. I was almost accepting this reality when I started to look elsewhere for overseas opportunities, mostly just for fun. To make a very long story short, I did a little research on volunteering in India, and found a great opportunity in community development in Jaipur. So far, the early price estimates show that it would fit nicely into my budget. The more Lonely Planet travel books I read, the more excited I become!

I applied for the program last month, and I was asked to send my C.V., which I need to write. I am working on it, and my self-imposed due date is sometime during the first week of the new year. Once I get a placement, and more concrete information on my assignment, I will be meeting with my internship coordinator once again to OK this final plan. I don't foresee any problems, but you never know about these academics...

In the mean time, I am spending countless hours creating a bomb-ass information packet for my friend. She is really into all things India, so I thought I would invite her. I had no problems making fast friends during my time in Kenya, but it could be really cool to have a friend along for this trip. This is especially so because any traveling might have to be done upfront before the monsoon season in July and August. If the partying has to be done before I start volunteering, I might not have the opportunity to meet and make fellow volunteer friends. Now, I'm normally totally brave, but I get a little uneasy at the thought of traveling in India solo. Strength in numbers, right?