10 days left....

Hello!

So, I am almost down to single digit numbers within the countdown...so scary yet exciting!

3 shopping trips later and I have now pretty much bought everything that I will need to take with me and somehow I now only need to manage to fit it all into my suitcase and make sure it weighs under 30kg. Shopping was fun....but testing at the same time! My first "issue" occurred when trying to buy a 70 litre rucksack and the very kind man who was helping us only wanted to sell me a 65 litre rucksack which also happened to be hot pink. Although he assured me that a 5 litre difference was nothing, I assured him that 5 litres was a lot when going away for a year and needing to take teaching implements with me! I also tried to persuade him that I was not a hot pink sort of girl although Mummy said I shouldn't be so vain! We quickly moved on and decided to return to the rucksack issue later...

Having stayed a weekend with some Project Trust friends who are off to Guyana, they informed me that buying a 10l hand luggage bag and 70l rucksack was not going to be nearly big enough to fit everything in. Massive sigh of relief as a 70l rucksack really is tiny and I was only following the guidelines! Having returned to the shop I am now the owner of a very smart black 45l rucksack which I will use for travelling and hand luggage and a 100l duffle bag which can be carried as a rucksack to fit everything else in!

My next issue was trying to find suitable skirts....a "suitable skirt" needed to cover my knees and preferably be made of  cotton so I don't die of heat. Now most people know that I don't really wear skirts...I am much more a dress person, however, I am petrified of taking the wrong thing so I was determined to take at least 2 skirts as well as dresses to teach in. Easier said then done! I tried on many a skirt but struggled to find a "suitable skirt" which didn't make me look at least 40 years old. Although I am going for the teacher look, I also am only 18!. Eventually I manage to find two flowery skirts which both cover my knees while not making me look ancient!

On my clothes list it told me to stay clear of the colour white as everything is orange in Namibia, white doesn't stay white for very long! I didn't initially see this as a problem until I looked through my wardrobe and noticed that about 70% of my tops are white! White pretty tops would haunt me in the shops, begging to be bought but luckily my Mothers will power was stronger than mine and my wardrobe for Namibia has remained white free.

I am now fully equipped to be a teacher: I have post it notes, felt tips, fine liners and perhaps most importantly CGP Maths and English Key Stage 1 and 2 books! I also have a script for my Nativity play and I have chosen the Wizard of Oz to be my full scale production. Having bought most of Waterstones the children should be ready to learn lots of Disney songs in their Music lessons! I also need to brush up my piano skills in the next few days....

So now that I have everything I need (including over 1000 stickers!) these last couple of days are going to be for saying goodbye to the last special people, spending time with family and finishing sorting out my teaching ideas. I have also made a "must eat before I go plan" which includes sticky toffee pudding and grated carrot - my all time favourite foods - and now I only need to eat them!

Feel free to add a suggestion if you think I might have forgotten to buy some vital thing which I shouldn't live without - don't worry I already have a magic flint which claims to light fires for me!

I hope you are all well and happy
Love from Ottilie xx