Quotes, other blogs and the Andes

Think I'm going to start putting an inspirational quote at the beginning of each post. First one will be the one my sister Lorna wrote on my birthday card back in December, my last birthday before my 18th in Peru.

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."

Feeling a bit stalkerish, but I've been looking at other people's blogs who have been to Peru with Project Trust or are there currently, and it's weird thinking that I might be in that orphanage that they're talking about, this time next year...or even in like 7 months. It's crazy. Can't believe I might even be playing with the same children they talk about, living in the same house as them...creepy as hell, I know, but it's amazing to hear about what it's actually like once you get out there. I can't imagine myself there, at all. But then again, I suppose they couldn't either, at this point last year. I'm wondering more and more where I'll be placed, because I've found two different blogs, one from a girl who was in Peru 2011 - 2012, and another who's there right now, 2012 - 2013. One really near the Amazon, one near Lima, the capital. Totally different experiences, you might think, but they'restrangely similar. I read their posts and they both seem the same, they both say the same things although I have no idea if they have a clue who each other are. Mind you, that'll probably be me next year...

Since I have no idea where I might be in Peru, and I don't have many photos up yet, here are some photos of where I could potentially be near...

Shanty town of Belen, Iquitos in the Amazon, Peru

Lima, Peru

The Peruvian Amazon

The Andes, Peru

Now, the Andes is where I would really, really, love to be for a whole year, hence the title of this blog. I will know for sure where I'll be in May, so fingers crossed until then! I know Project Trust will place me depending on what the project is like, and I don't even know if there are any projects in the Andes, but my hopes are staying strong!!

You see, I'd love to be in the Andes. It would love it! I am not a big fan of hot weather, I love going walking, I love taking pictures... Although I'm sure I will be able to do that wherever I go in Peru! I hope I'll be able to do lots of traveling within Peru or in other surrounding countries like Bolivia and Chile, and so I intend to see the Andes and hopefully Machu Picchu at some point during my year!!




Can't wait...getting more excited day by day.

Heather <3

Busy busy busy

Lots of things going on at the moment. Big stress.

I had a bagpack at tesco's on 12 January - a huge success, raising pretty much £650 exactly!!! (£649.74, but since I'm the perfectionist I felt I had to put in the extra 26 pence) Didn't expect to raise nearly that much, so a big thank you is due to everyone who helped, particularly my dear Mother who spent the whole 8 hours there with me. After how well that one went, I think I might try and get another one squeezed in before June!! Not sure how that'll go down though, what with exams and all.

Anyway, we are all in intense organisation of my ceilidh on 15 February - just 4 weeks time. Huge stress to raise awareness, make sure there will actually be enough people there to make a profit, never mind a decent amount of money. Big big stress levels right now, particularly since I have prelims this Tuesday, Thursday and Monday, and so I'm having to balance fundraising stuff with prelim revision which is not too easy. But at least I've been able to relax a little bit since I got an email from UCAS saying that "something has changed" on my UCAS page (most annoying thing ever - why don't they just tell you straight off?) and so I went on the page and lo and behold - I GOT AN UNCONDITIONAL TO MY FIRST CHOICE - Heriot Watt University!!!!! Happiest girl in the world right now, honestly. And I have a really horrendous cold so that news came just when I needed it most! Totally boosted my mood and I'm totally fine for prelims now..... I say that, but when I fail my prelims or something ghastly like that.... I'm trying not to think of the consequences. Anyway at least that lifts the stress off a little, on school terms anyway.

So, for anyone wanting to come to my ceilidh, it's at the Tom Fleming Centre at Stewart's Melville College, Queensferry Road, Edinburgh, on Friday 15 February, from 7.30 until 11pm. Tickets are £10 for adults, £5 for under 16's and it's free for under 5's. Please come along, and bring your parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, everyone you can think of - the more the merrier!!

Thanks for reading, and sorry I don't post all that often - as I'm sure you can imagine I have very little free time (gaaaaah)...but I'm hoping my year in Peru will make up for it. And as they all say.... 
The more you put in, the more you get out.

Heather <3

Hello 2013

Happy New Year!!

It has just, today, yesterday, dawned on me that in around 7 months from now, I will be on a plane, with some unknown partner (I hope I like her!), travelling halfway across the world to my place of residence for the next 12 months. This time next year I may be celebrating New Year in a very different way (apparently the tradition is to place 3 potatoes under your sofa, one with no skin, one with half a skin and one with a full skin, pick one out at random and that will determine your finance for the next year!), along with some very cute children and some alpacas leaning over our shoulders (...I dream of such things). However, I look forward to this distant yet strangely close reality that I will be taking part in in the near future! I can't wait to meet my first Peruvian alpaca. 

In other news, I have decided that I want to have all letters away to trusts by the end of the Christmas holidays. It doesn't sound like a lot, but believe me... it's a nightmare. I have spent a few hours trawling through The Directory of Grant Making Trusts in Edinburgh Central Library (scariest place I have ever been) and have so far been through H to U. I'm currently in the process of going through the few suitable trusts I have found, which there are not that many of, and writing them letters to ask for donations. It's a tedious task but I will hopefully get a bit of money from the work that  put in - one guy got £4,000 from trusts since he spent a week in the library during the holidays. I wish I knew how he did it!

Anyway, I've got a bagpack arranged for 12 January so I'm rounding up friends and family to help out. I hope you've all had a good Christmas - because I certainly did. By asking only for donations for my birthday (1st December) and sending my leaflet with the annual Christmas newsletter to various far-flung relatives around the place, I managed to raise £345 for my gap year, which I hope I'll put towards immunisations and travelling costs for when I'm on holiday in Peru! A massive thanks to everyone who has contributed so far.

Heather <3