With the commitment to volunteer in both Peru and Nepal confirmed I now have to get serious about getting ready both mentally and physically for both of these trips. Yes I have been prepping for the past two years, and I have recently stepped up my workouts to a new level. This past Sunday I did 1300 steps on the stair-master , 3 miles on the treadmill with 2 of those miles at 15% incline. I also did 15 minutes on the rower. My total workout time was one hour and forty minutes. I am also still doing my daily yoga first thing every morning.
I think though the hardest thing I am doing is trying to learn two languages at once. I don't expect to be conversational in either, but would like to know enough to communicate some basic needs or ideas. The Spanish lessons aren't too bad, but having been in Texas for most of my life I have been exposed to Spanish for most of it. Learning Nepali though is on a whole different level as the sentence structure is different along with the lack of exposure to hearing it spoken makes it quite the challenge. I am focusing on some key phrases right now - Ma angrezi bolchu (I speak English), ma USA bata hun ( I am from the USA). Dhanybhad ( thank-you) Vegetariana (sp) - Shahakari (np) (vegetarian) and learning to recognize numbers so I can read prices on items. It really is harder to learn a new language when older.
I did have a mild panic attack this past weekend... wondering what the hell am I thinking traveling to Peru all alone. I really should just stay in my nice comfy home all safe, snug and cozy. But then I stop and think about the exhilaration of a new adventure, one where I step out of my comfort zone. I know I will love the volunteer work, I will love the trekking and I will love the culture of both Peru and Nepal.
It's going to be great - I just have to step out of my box.
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