First stop: California

Everything is packed and I'm ready to head out to California tomorrow. Only one blissful week in Oceanside until I leave for Fiji!

I was a bit nervous this weekend about Fiji. It all stems from not knowing what to expect but I really hope that I don't get sick or hurt. I just bought the most expensive travelers insurance so even if I do need to be medically evacuated, at least I won't have to worry about the financial aspect of it.

First world problem alert: I'm also having issues packing. How do I fit everything I'll need for two months in a suitcase (that must weigh less than 50 lbs)? Solution: bring a duffle bag just in case.

Official passport holder

I am offically two steps closer to Fiji. I received both my participant handbook and my passport this week! The handbook was informative including information like what to expect from the program, past projects, and country specific information. I've also been buying wayyy too much and therefore taking extra trips to return things I thought I needed. 

Next steps: Pay program fees, figure out flight, write out a realistic packing list, watch training movies

The Beginning

My MBA program "strongly advises" a summer internship between year one and two. After a lot of networking and applying for positions I had a few prospects but nothing that grabbed my attention. One night, on a late night Sonic run, my friend mentioned that she was going to Fiji for the summer to work with a program called HELP International. She asked me what my plans were and after I basically said "nothing" she told me about a microcredit project that needed some attention. My interest was immediately piqued and I decided then and there that I wanted to work with HELP to improve the lives of the people in Fiji.

The purpose of this blog is to record my summer experience in Fiji. I want to be able to remember both the good times and challenges I have throughout the summer. I also want to share the experience with my friends and family who I wish could all come with me. I haven't exactly decided how to format the blog but I will try to include a little bit of everything: photos, project details, cultural tid bits, etc. 

Warning: This is not an academic blog and my grammar will NOT be up to Kate's (biz writing professor) standards. Sorry if my poor writing distracts you.