So, despite what I previously thought and told everyone, I'm no longer going to be spending a year in Cambodia. Instead I'm going to be in hot and spicy India!
I had been previously warned by Project Trust (PT) that the first project I had been chosen for may fall through. In fact it was the whole reason that every PT volunteer chooses three countries to go to on selection. So I was aware that I may not end up in Cambodia. Therefore when PT called and told me that due to various reasons I was being relocated, I was shocked but not too surprised (if that makes sense!).
Initially I was, of course, disappointed. After spending so long finding out about the fascinating country that is Cambodia, I felt slightly lost knowing I was no longer going there.
However, once I accepted the fact that I wasn't going where I thought I was I became excited with the idea of going to India. This was my second choice of country from selection and somewhere I'd always wanted to go.
Another big difference additional to the country was the work I'd be doing there. In Cambodia I was to be caring for orphans. In India I'll be teaching. At first I was conflicted about this, after years of being in education I wanted a break from school etc to experience more from life. However, after some consideration and discussions I realised that this was a naive argument. In fact, the fact I have been in education for years means teaching would be the prefect thing for me to do for many reasons. Firstly, I know far more and I'm more experienced about education and learning than in childcare. I was also getting concerned about my ability to be a carer due to my lack of experience, I'm sure I would be able to eventually but the pressure initially may have been too stressful. Secondly, I feel very passionate about education. My education is something I am incredibly privileged to have and feel is my duty to share. Therefore teaching in India is prefect for me.
So TL;DR - I'm not going to Cambodia but happy to be going to India and am very lucky to be able to do so too!
