Suddenly I had a desire to get away and do something life changing, something exciting and something of my own. I found a site advertising volunteering opportunities and before I knew it, I was booked onto the Himalayan Beauty project and had six months to prepare for a four week trip to India!
It was daunting. I'd never flown on my own before, I wasn't a massive fan of airport security and I was going to have to navigate my way from New Delhi to Mcleod Ganj completely on my own.
For a while, I put some of the planning off. Suddenly, I was nervous, having second thoughts, terrified that two weeks after my 20th birthday I'd be embarking on this huge trip, but thankfully my parents were there to guide me.
We had some family friends who had been to the Mcleod Ganj area once or twice before, and they were incredibly helpful in recommending hotels and explaining the best ways to get around. The host company for my project sent through a project pack and they recommended several options for traversing the 500 kilometers between New Delhi and Mcleod Ganj, including an overnight bus.
Soon everything was booked. My first night would be spent in the Marriott at Delhi Areocity (which will probably forever be the poshest hotel I've ever stayed in and was an adventure in its own) and then I would catch an overnight bus to Mcleod Ganj, where I would stay one night and the following morning make my way to Dharamasala to meet the other volunteers!
Before I knew it, my rucksack was packed, my jabs were done and I was sat on the plane on my way to India!
