This is it!

One week to go!! It's been mostly a scramble lately, trying to get everything in order before heading off into the unknown for a full year. As it turns out, there's quite a lot to be taken care of! The entire process has been filled with excitement though. From the first time years ago when I started dreaming, to about this time last year when I thought the window of opportunity might be just around the corner and started getting serious, to the initial conversations I had with people, to the day I was accepted by United Planet and then later the local Nepal Cultural Youth Exchange office, and finally through this whirlwind of preparation, attempts to envision myself living there, and inspiring discussions that have comprised the past 8 months of increasingly fast-passing time. It's been a lot of fun trying to picture what it will be like because, of course, I have no idea. I'm sure it'll be nothing at all like what I've been imagining.

Without a doubt, my favourite part of it all has been the reactions, the conversations and the strong words of support that have been brought about. When I first started thinking about volunteering overseas I viewed it as a solo expedition. Something I thought I'd be doing on my own that would be a phenomenal individual experience to throw myself into and learn a lot from personally. But the more I've talked to each of you about it, the more and more I've come to realize it's not a solo thing at all. It feels like something we've all been sharing, and I must say I like it a whole lot better that way. So here's to all of you who have been so supportive, who will hopefully continue to share in the adventure, and who give me something very exciting to come back to again a year from now!

Once the initial reactions (of generally either shock or excitement) had passed, I normally would be asked 2 questions: Why? and then Why Nepal? Well, it feels like there are a million answers to both of those.

From only ever having heard about life in third world countries and wanting to understand what it's truly like to live in one, to recognizing that there are many people elsewhere in disadvantaged situations that could benefit from the dedicated time and effort of an international volunteer, I think I can boil the answer to "Why?" down to 2 main reasons: 1) The Challenge, and 2) The Opportunity.

1) I'll be jumping out into an entirely different world. I'll be trying to adapt to a foreign culture, with unfamiliar surroundings, where I don't know a single person, where they don't speak English (or even have the same alphabet) and at the same time working hard to figure out how I can bring the most value to the community there. I think it's safe to say this will be the hardest thing I've ever done. But, from what I've discovered to this point in life, the harder something is, the more rewarding it can be. The challenge so far of trying to learn about the country and learn some of the language before I go has already been a huge motivation for me.

2) The opportunity. My life has been filled with them. Thanks mostly to my parents and where I was born, there's never been the idea in my head that there's something I can't do. Knowing that many people don't get to see that kind of freedom, I don't want to take it for granted. So this opportunity is about leaping into this brief window while I have the chance (after the many years focused on hockey and school and developing some skills at work, but before I get too tied down in Calgary) and using it to help others get closer to be able to choose what they want for their own futures.

Why Nepal? Because it fascinates me. It is literally the collision point between the giants of India and China and has the himalayas to prove it. With Tibetan Buddhist influences from the north and Indian Hinduism from the south, it is a unique intermingling of cultures, religions, and ethnicities to create a lifestyle all it's own. The landscape also provides huge diversity, with the highest mountains in the world hosting yaks and snow leopards in contrast with the wild jungles where tigers and elephants roam free. The people come across very happy and friendly, yet they are some of the poorest anywhere in the world. All in all, I can't imagine a more stimulating place to spend this year.

The Stats:

- 8 of the 10 highest peaks in the world

- Population: 30 million

- Literacy rate: 53%

- Half of the population lives under the international poverty line of $1.25/day

- Unemployment and underemployment close to 50%

- Per capita income less than $470 (Canada: $31,000, US: $38,000)

- Ranked 147 out of 177 countries on UN Human Development Index (Canada: 4, US: 13)

- 1 doctor for every 12,612 Nepalese (1 for every 390 in America)

- 3rd highest infant mortality rate in the world

Those are just the numbers. Now I intend to find out what they mean.

Next time I post it will be from somewhere near Everest's shadow.

Namaste!