I'm sitting here, late at night trying to not scratch my arm, or rather the two raised angry red lumps, that mark the two rabies injections. Those two little lumps have significant meaning to me, a symbol of a journey that's going to happen, an adventure about to begin. They mean I'm doing it, I'm going to Egypt.
People talk about new years resolutions, well my resolutions happened long before the new year. My resolution happened when i saw an add on face book about starving animals in Egypt, and a little niggling bit inside me that was looking for adventure and meaning, suddenly clicked, and i resolved that come the new year i would go to Egypt. It fitted exactly what i was looking for and what i wanted to do. So i signed up, with no finances, and not sure how i was going to make it possible, i decided i was going to do it, i just knew one way or another this was my goal and not just another passing idea.
Well now the tickets are paid for, and the immunisations i need to travel there and work with animals have started, i have the bank account and bumps on my arm to show that my resolution is happening. I'm going, and I'm damn excited. Better yet, i get to go with one of my oldest and dearest friends, because when i saw this opportunity i knew of only one person, who would want to go just as badly as me. I rang Steph, and just like that we were both going to Egypt.
Family and friends have had mixed reactions, the amount of people who have told me that camels stink, and spit, as a way to put me off to is amazing. I spend my days working with horses, and mucking out stables, do they think a camel's bad breath are going to put me off? Some are concerned for my safety, in what is a country not known for its great treatment of women, and now is in the midst of political upheaval to boot. So it dangerous politically, especially for women, hot and stinky
So why go??
Why not? Adventure, travel, ancient ruins, danger, horses and exotic animals, all sounds like something out of my personal fairytale novel. But really i think the chance to help, and put my skills into treating injured animals, rather than just training show horses, is a huge draw. I think it is important to do some good in the world, and this would definitely be doing that.
Secondly, it is so easy to sit back, read news papers, watch TV,m and form opinions about other cultures, religion's and people,and what they might be doing do right and wrong. However its never so black and white, when you travel to those same places and meet and understand the people and the circumstances surrounding them. We hear so much bad press about the middle east and Africa, its easy to write them off as cruel, ignorant, and extremist, but realistically we have no idea about the trials of life over there, and what really goes on for the everyday people. In New Zealand we are truly blessed with our way of life, climate, democracy and the opportunities we receive, it easy for us to judge, but not so easy to understand from our tiny island on the bottom of the world. So my other reason for going, is to try and understand and learn about another way of life, and the people who lead it.
So a few more injections, a bloodtest, a little nerves, a couple of weeks, some packing and researching and i will be on a plane to Egypt and what ever experiances she may hold for me..
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