volunteer overseas

The time has nearly arrived! This time in two days I will be touching down in Melbourne where my flight to LA departs from. Myself and the other volunteers that are flying out from Melbourne on the group flight have arranged a place to meet, and we’re going to try and get seats together on the plane so that we can get to know each other a bit on the flight – it is about 17 hours long! So I’m pretty much all packed, except for my carryon which everything is kinda of shoved in… still need to pack those last minute items like toothbrush, comb etc… EXCITED!!!

About 4.5 weeks til I leave. I received my volunteer project allocation yesterday, I will be doing the leatherback and green sea turtle conservation project. This involves patrolling the beach (mostly at night) to look for turtle coming ashore, taking details of these turtles, nest relocation of low chance survival turtle nests, making sure people aren’t coming to steal the eggs (they sell them), helping to build and working in the turtle hatchery, and cleaning up the beach. SOOOOOO excited!! Still got a few things to buy for the trip, but i will only be taking a backpack so i wont be able to pack too much… I really hope we do get plenty of chances to do laundry cos i’m not wearing dirty underwear for 5.5 weeks!!!

It’s just over 4 months until I go to Costa Rica. I’ve eaten so many fundrasing chocolates bahaha. (of course I am paying for them!) Everything’s coming along… I’ve applied for my passport and it has been approved and I should be receiving it by registered post this week! (so i’ll be able to tick that goal off!) I’ve booked flights from Adelaide (my hometown) to Melbourne where the international flight departs from, and I’ve bought travel insurance, and sent off pretty much all the paperwork I need to. I’ve still got a lot of money to save up but my parents hav offered to help me out and I will pay them back whn I get back – before I can start saving for my next trip :( sigh haha – luckily I’ve been getting a few more shifts at work too…

So my application for an ISV trip was accepted and was given a place in the program going to Costa Rica on 30 November 2009!!! :O :D

I’ve been selling freddos and other fundraising chocolates like crazy and i’m having a huge trash & treasure sale and writing to people for sponsorship dollars… taking bottles to the recycling centre for the 10c cash back we have in south australia (not sure if this is done elsewhere?)

SMILES…

for an International Student Volunteer trip to either Costa Rica, South Africa or Thailand! I should know really soon if I’ve got a spot on the program (its pretty competitive as there aren’t a huge number of spots) and I need to save/fundraise about $7000!!! by the end of september :O I’m going to try selling chocolates, have a car boot sale / trash and treasure sale & ebaying stuff to raise money, as well as saving as much as possible from my part time job, and sucking up to my parents a little! If anyone has any ideas on how to fundraise for this type of thing your ideas would be greatly appreciated!!! :D I know I’ll get there somehow but i’d really rather not have to get a loan