Going away from home

[Edie]

I have been offered an amazing opportunity to visit Africa for 5 weeks to work with wild animals.

I have never been away from home for more than 2 weeks. I find it really hard being away from home and being in unfamiliar places.

I went to Africa on holiday 6 years ago and when I look in my diary entries I wrote at the time they are full of comments about how much I miss home, yet when I think about it now I just remember it as an amazing experience. But that was only for 2 weeks, so 5 weeks and missing home might outweigh the experiences.

I don't travel well and often feel really ill for a couple of days after travelling. I'm sure I will be allowed to stay in bed if I need to, but I don't want to look lazy.

I worry about food because I get very sick if I eat wheat. We cook our own meals, but all the food is provided - they provide everything we need to make pasta salad every night, and sandwiches for lunch boxes. If you want anything different you have to provide your own. For the price we are paying I am very happy to provide my own, but we arrive on a Monday and our first opportunity to go to the shops isn't until Saturday. You are not allowed to import food without a special license, so I can't just pack a bag of rice in my suitcase in case it gets confiscated by customs.

I take a low dose of codeine on prescription for IBS. You are allowed to take medication for personal use if it's in the original pharmacy packaging, but I'm paranoid about getting quizzed about it by customs.

On the plus side, self-catering does give me control over my food, once I have been able to purchase it. I would also be travelling with my very lovely college friends, some of whom know about my Asperger's and the anxieties it leads to - those who don't are really lovely and would probably be supportive if I told them about it.

I know you can't answer this question for me, but should I go? Are they really going to confiscate rice? I have to decide by Monday.

[theharvestmouse]

Do it, its an amazing experience and why should you let your anxiety stop you from doing something you want to do. I went to France for 3 months and although I missed home I'm so glad I did it.

[Edie]

The thing blocking me at the moment is, how do I get safe food for my first week? All I need is a big bag of rice, don't mind eating cold rice for lunch, then more rice for tea. Probably won't want to eat rice ever again by the time I come back mind!

I have so many problems, I have Asperger's, chronic fatigue syndrome, IBS, and I faint a lot, all of which create genuine concerns, but my anxiety brain blows them up out of all proportion :wacko:

3 months, I'm impressed! South Africa is 9000 miles away from home though :scared15:

[Bekzie]

It is an amazing opportunity for you and it would be a shame to miss out on it, Would your doctor give you anything for the feeling ill after travelling? I hope you manage to sort something out

[frosty2901]

if you are going with college then havent you got a tutor who you can talk to if so surely you can tell them aout your dietary needs and see if they can help and ensure you get enough food you can eat for the first few days if this is all that realy worries you maybe it will put your mind at rest

frosty

[Edie]

It's not organised by the college. We have to do work experience placements which we sort out ourselves. I'm doing all mine locally this year. It just happens that one of our tutors' partner works for this company that organise these work experience placements in South Africa, so has put us in touch with the company. 9 students have signed up and there are 10 places in total.

The travel difficulty is due to the chronic fatigue. It just takes it out of me and I have to sleep it off. There is no medication that would help. I've decided that even if I just need to stay in bed some days it would still be an amazing opportunity.

I'm going to stash a packet of rice in my suitcase for the first week. Having looked into it a bit more, they are only really bothered about imports of meat or dairy. It all worries me, but the food is my big stumbling block and I think it can be overcome.

Oh my goodness, I'm going to Africa!!!!! :D:scared15::yahoo: