Kathmandu here we come!

Well, it's almost Christmas Eve and as many of us frantically try to get our presents wrapped up and put under the tree, there are 15 young people also trying to pack a unique combination of warm clothes and donated goods. In just a few days, the participants of the 2012 Nepal Study Tour will be heading off on the journey of a lifetime...

I still have piles of stuff all over the place but I have no doubt that it will get sorted and packed by the time I have to make my way to the airport.

It has been an exciting few weeks recently with our fearless leader, CEO Steph Woollard post up tips and hints for packing and things we need to know when we get to Nepal. I have even been browsing through the Tavel guide I received from a friend. Learning the cultural practices and faux pas may be challenging but I am excited to be immersed in such a unique Nepalese culture. Things like Buddhism, extreme poverty, insane contrasts an inequality, 'rich' smells, and the kind of busy streets where you would be lucky to escape without a throat infection after a few days in the city.

Most of all, I am looking forward to visiting and volunteering at the skills training centre because that is the heart of why we're going. I can't wait to meet people and hear their stories. I hope to be able to learn and be challenged and to be able to encourage and give hope to the people I meet. I don't expect to fully appreciate what some of them might have been through, but I would love to be able to just catch a glimpse of the amazon transformation taking place through the provision of skills training and empowerment. And I hope to be able to gain exposure of good community development practice and bring those lessons back to Australia to tell people about the amazing work that Seven Women do.

Please keep your eye on our Facebook page and blog over the next month as we will be posting throughout our trip.

Thanks for reading!