One week!

So, I don't have a whole lot to say, but I leave on my adventure one week from today! I have a few things left to do, to pack and purchase, and say some goodbyes. 
Right now I'm in Tara, Ontario, hanging out with my Aunt Anne and my cousin Kayla. The past few (blogless) weeks have been really spectacular. Although I was worried I would be bored in Goderich for a month, I've been spending loads of time with my friends, a summer romance, and with family at our cottage. 
I discovered through my Dad that there is a song by Crosby, Stills, and Nash called Marrakech Express. It was written by Graham Nash about his train trip from Casablanca to Marrakech in 1969. 
From the wikipedia article,
"Nash told Rolling Stone magazine that at first he traveled in the first-class compartment. But he found it 'fucking boring.' Thus he went to sit with hoi polloi and the 'ducks and pigs and chickens.'"
I'm excited for my own 2011 version of this train trip. My friend Isabelle and I re-wrote the lyrics to Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds about our trip to Norway last year, and something similar is stirring up in my mind.
Something for the long plane rides. :)
To celebrate one week until my departure, here is the video for One Week by the Barenaked Ladies. Which has nothing really to do with my travels, but I just like the song. 


Keep Smiling!


Countdown: 7 days!

Team Ghana

L-R: Sara, Me, Robin, Heather, Davina

So much love. 

Davina is our new Site Director. She's a graduating LifeSci student. Sara and I are in Takoradi working for Friends of the Nation. Sara is a 3rd year Nursing student, and I am a 2nd year Global Development Studies student. and Heather and Robin are in Accra working for Kumasi Institute of Technology and Environment. Heather is a graduating EngPhys student, and Robin a graduating Film student.

Countdown: 27 days

Keep Smiling! :)

One month? No way, Jose.

Hola amigos,

My Mom says that, "No Way, Jose."Sometimes I say it around my friends and they look at me like I'm crazy. Moving on...

It's May 1st, and it's a beautiful sunny day! More exciting, exactly ONE MONTH before I leave for Morocco and Ghana. Today I leave Kingston to go home to Goderich for a month. Because my room in Kingston has been totally emptied for my summer sublettler, I've done a lot of packing already. I'm gonna rock my khaki capris and birkenstocks this summer. Yesterday, at Cooperant* Training, we received our first aid kits, which are huge. I'm a little worried about getting everything to fit into a hiker's pack...

*Sidenote: Cooperants is the term QPID uses for their project volunteers, so you may hear me using it occasionally.

Other than packing and logistic stuff, I've done a bit of planning for Morocco. I'm no longer going to Fez, so that I can go some more outdoorsy things around Marrakech, such as hiking to Ouzoud Falls, and going on a camel trek. 

Ouzoud Falls:

Camel Trekking:

Also, you may have noticed a fancy new "Related Websites" section on the left. Ooooh, Aaaaah! Team Ghana and Botswana have decided to keep Team Blogs, so we can all contribute to a single blog over the summer. So if you're interested in reading my teammates perspectives, have a look! Hopefully Team Nunavut will get one going soon too. There is also the QPID website and the FoN website. 

Countdown: 31 days (omg. )

Keep Smiling!

Caroline