It's time to go!!

This is it! I am going!

I have passport, Vietnam guide and my lucky charm (the keys of my home in Portugal) so I am ready to go!!

The last couple of weeks have been crazy, so many things happening at the same time that I don't think my brain realized that it's here... it's now... I am going.

So many questions, so many fears (the plane accident in France definitely did not help!!), so many things to be excited about, so many things to think about, to organize... aaahhhhhhh But in the end, this is why I am doing this. This trip is all about to do this volunteering experience and take me completely out of my comfort zone. Ana's, an old friend of mine, reaction was "Vietnam??!! Really?? Why? Why don't you go to... France?!" - I still smile when I think about this.

I have just finished packing everything, or at least what I think it is everything. I tried to be a bit prepared for any situation but knowing myself I probably forgot to pack something very important... but hey!! That is part of the fun isn't it?

However during all this preparation, to make sure that I leave everything done at work that I have all the vaccines, all the paperwork and so on, didn't prepare me to feel ill just before departure. Yes, I have a flu like I don't think I had for many years, I even stayed one day at home to try to recover a bit more. I feel better. I also took a lot of drugs and I have some more to take in the next couple of days. Whoever is going to be in the same flights as me I say "I am really sorry!!", I am taking medicines and sleeping pills so I won't disturb too much anyone with my unstoppable, irritating cough. I am trying my best.

Of course that at this moment my brain doesn't stop to try to predict what I am going to find once I get there. How are the people going to react? What am I going to do on my daily basis? What are the conditions? How many kids is in the Hospital? Are they going to like me? Am I going to be able to help them and make their lives a little easier? How am I going to react? And of course also remember to follow every rule, understand any detail of the culture so that I don't offend anyone, anywhere, what will I be able to visit? All sorts of food that I want to try. Wow, so many many things. All the activity meant that I haven't been able to sleep properly so I woke up ridiculously early and went to work before 7am!!! Yeah you read right 7am - at least I managed to do everything I wanted/needed.

Before I go I also need to thank to some of my friends, Verinha for helping me setting up this blog, Carlinhos for helping us with ideas, my family for showing me that there is nothing else that matters than being there for someone when they need the most and all the other ones that supported with money, with time or just a "good luck, you'll do great!!".

Some of you might think that this is a weird thank you but I am also very lucky to work in a company like Mondelez, where everyone supports these initiatives. I am taking 3 weeks off work: 2 holiday and 1 week unpaid leave, while in the meantime, I was in the process of changing job and getting a promotion. To me this is a Great Place to Work... working with your friends and making chocolate helps a lot... I cannot deny it.

So to be honest I have no clue of what I am going to find. I don't know what my next 3 weeks will be like, but I am with arms/heart wide open. I want to see, I want to learn, I want to live and enjoy every single minute of this experience. And if at the end of this program I managed to make someone smile because I was just there giving my time and sharing my craziness I will come back with my heart full of hope and happiness.

Time to go...  I am ready!! Let's go :)