The EMC India team 2007I've started laying out my stuff for packing, ironing the clothes, gathering the toiletries. This is the earliest I've ever started packing before a trip. I usually leave it to that optimum period of efficient panic the night before, but for some reason I'm actually contemplating having the ruck all zipped up several days in advance, so that come the morning of departure I just need to dress, pick it up and catch the early bus. I don't want to be faffing and miss the bus, then the train and so on. Lots of slack in the timetable in reality since we're meeting at Tearfund in the morning, spending a day there, then heading off to Heathrow for an early evening flight. Packing now will also help me check I've got everything. Who knows what I'll need, who knows what's too much? I started making a kit list, something else I've never done. Of course, once I'd chosen the font and formatted the bulleted list the interest dwindled.
Did some last gift shopping for EMC today. Got a few soft balls and pens and things. Not sure I'm the best judge of what's handy to have when helping Indian street children, but I guess children like doing pretty much the same stuff all over the world. Or maybe there are at least some common themes.
I applied for this trip about six months ago with the aim of contributing somehow, but I'm getting the growing sense that I'll be the one who gains most. Tearfund made this clear, and I'm starting to feel it. These few gifts and my limited talents, I'm wondering just how naive I'll discover I am.
And it's also struck me that doing this for a month is significant for me. The team of people I'll be visiting make this their life.
I'm short on toothpaste.
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