Leaving the North of England... on Route to Africa

I have decided to write this blog, firstly to stop annoying all my friends and family with ridiculously long emails of my travelling adventures. Secondly as I wish to document all of the crazy, good and bad stories that happen on my year in Africa.

I have travelled the world a lot in 28 yrs and have decided that there is more than travel in foreign countries that I wish to experience. I am about to embark on (I hope) an adventure of a lifetime… and hopefully something that will help other people and give me a clue what to do in life. As of Monday 5^th of October 2011 I will be getting on 2 planes, destination… Kenya, Nairobi. From here I will be catching some sort of transport to the 3^rd largest city in Kenya… KISUMU, where I will be working for an organisation called Cycle out of Poverty for the next two months. The rest of the year??? Finding other organisations that can use my art and design skills…Where??? Somewhere in Africa.

Today I finally left Manchester, the place I have called home for the last 8years. I no longer have a house, my car is being sold and my best friends and family are going to be thousands of miles away from me. (well actually my brother lives in Oz so I will be a little closer to him!)

Slight issue number one…

Having only bought a one way ticket to Kenya I am a little apprehensive about trying to get a visa on arrival. I have been told by the Kenyan high commission in London that I need an exit journey out of Kenya within 3 months in order to gain a visa… I am not buying a plane ticket! I tried to explain, “what does a traveller who flies into Kenya, then travels by land and returns home from South Africa do?” The Lady on the phone did not like this answer and told me I would be sent straight back home…. So I decided to look at bus journeys out of Kenya. All of the bus/minibus companies I can find online will reserve me a place on a specific date, but won’t allow me to actually pay for a ticket. So from day one, I WILL be skating a little thin to get this adventure started.

Today (29^th Sept) the fear has kicked in… I have been trying to organise things for my backpack. I have decided against bringing my own needles…. As my dad rightly said the chances of them being on me are slim if I have an accident anyway.

My tasks at Cycle Out Of Poverty will be incredibly varied, so hopefully I can at least achieved some of them! I never lied about any skills I had when I contacted this organisation, HOWEVER, my nerves are getting the better of me and I am starting to think SHIT! I mean really I have a very basic knowledge of a bike, as quite a few people have asked me….. and realistically I am much more skilled in the area of abstract wooden sculpture and painting. But don’t people always say that you should do something that scares you?

Today (30^th Sept) I am hysterically giddy. The more people tell me “you’re so brave” or “a year is a long time and Africa is a dangerous place” I just want to be there already. I guess some would call me a pleasure seeker, a thrill seeker or as my Chorlton girls would say…. “A girl who has no shame!”

And the shameful thing is that I relish on the last comment the most, I mean really you live and die alone, so who cares if someone judges you. At least I am trying to make the most of every opportunity that comes along.

So I have not posted this blog yet…. After the last comment I made I am wondering why???!!!!

Alright so I am finding the balls to post my first blog….. hopefully the next one will have immense stories of luck, blagging and hospitality!!