Welcome to my journey

Greetings Blog followers,

My name's Tina.

Nice to meet you.

Many of you don't know me, so sit back for story time. Here's a little story to paint the picture of what this year will entail (queue enchanting fairytale music):

Once upon a time there was a university student named, let's say... Tina, who went to Guatemala in 2008 to volunteer with an organisation called Global Vision International, GVI. When in Guatemala she learnt Spanish, lived with a host family, and built four stoves for four families. Upon her return to Melbourne, Australia where she was studying she continued to plod along happily.

Several years later GVI held a video competition, with the theme: "Are you the difference?". For procrastination during her exams she created a video based on the Mother Teresa quote: "We cannot do great things in this world, only small things with great love" using images based on her time in Guatemala.

After the finalists were chosen, it went to a facebook vote, and after promising to make every voter a cupcake (if I owe you a cupcake, I will make you one, I have every intention on keeping that promise) and flippantly agreeing to run Oxfam Trailwalkers 100km run in a skin coloured unitard (if you ever need to borrow a skin coloured unitard just give me a call!) Tina won.

So after the first semester of her masters in International Development she packed her bags and left Australia.

And that is where my story begins...

I came to Canada to visit my Aunt Meg before starting my big trip, a chance to collect my thoughts, get organised and ready myself for the year away volunteering with GVI.

From here I will return to California to visit my elderly grandparents, before setting off on a rather zigzaggy path back to Australia.

In order I will travel to: Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, UK, India, Thailand, Seychelles, Kenya and South Africa.

I'll be volunteering on a huge range of projects, from stove building to elephant rehabilitation and for different durations. Either way I hope you enjoy following this journey, and I thank you for your company.

Welcome to my blog, and welcome to my journey.

Welcome to my journey