What a difference...

I was just reading Hannah's blog about how different this trip is to her life a year ago, and began trying to work out exactly what I was up to this time last year. Obviously I was still at university, living in Cambridge and reading (that's the technical term, don'cha know!?) for my degree in Education with Religious Studies.

Then I realised - it's almost exactly a year (I believe it was a year on Saturday to be precise) since I started my school placement; the placement which confirmed for me that I did not wish to pursue teaching as a career. I had already kinda decided this in the summer following my first year at university, but I had hoped this placement would change my mind. I seem to remember it taking less than in hour with a class of Year 3-4 kids (P4/5 for anyone from Northern Ireland where we use a sensible year system!) to confirm that wasn't going to happen.

One year ago I had an experience which confirmed what I didn't want to do with my life. Now, I'm still not completely sure what I want to do. However, I'm setting off an absolutely life-changing experience which may well decide my entire future, if what people have been telling me about getting addicted to development work once you've been to Africa is true! One year ago I couldn't have told you what I'd be doing right now if you'd asked... I'd probably have hazarded a guess at working a classroom assistant to earn some money for further study, or doing a psychology conversion course to train as an educational psychologist. Anything I could think of remotely related to my degree, basically. I didn't want to consider doing anything not related to it; not because that would mean I had wasted 3 years, but because that would mean admitting I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do!

If you'd told during that school placement that in a year's time I was going to be heading off to DRC with Christian Aid I'd have laughed in your face... well, I would have once you'd pointed out to me where it was on a map (Geography was never my strong point)! But here I am - me, who has shied away from church mission teams to Africa for years, preferring instead to stay in the UK or, in a moment of madness and daring, sign up to go to Romania for a week. This trip is going to be by far the scariest thing I've ever done. But - assuming I don't get eaten by a giant man-eating snake whilst there which is, I still insist (no matter what anyone says), a distinct possibility - I get the feeling its going to be the most exciting, emotional and empowering (spot the Presbyterian with the 3 points beginning with the same letters!) experience EVER! And I'M SO EXCITED!

I also couldn't be going with a better group of people! We're going to have an absolute blast, guys!

Rach x