before departure

Hello and welcome to my blog, which I will be updating with news from Mongolia on a hopefully regular basis for the next 12 weeks. After about 9 months of organising I am finally only a few days away from my first venture into the big wide world all on my ownsome and I’m not ashamed to admit that my current emotions keep on swinging erratically from excitement to terror.

I am not really certain how often I will have access to internet, if at all, so don't worry if the blog is quiet.

I have raised funds for this trip through applying to charitable trusts and through a sponsored event, I sailed solo for 3miles round a triangular course in a double-handed dinghy at my home club at Loch Venachar (proof below):

This is my first and last post before arriving in the country so I would like to say thanks to everyone who has supported me and those generous souls who have donated towards my trip. Special thanks to: my family and friends (love to all!), everyone at the Frontier headquarters, Buffalo Systems (Adam Thomas for all your advice and the fantastic shirt which has performed beyond my expectations in the face of the horror that is Scottish weather), the Stewart Award, the Bulkeley Evans Scholarship Fund, the Lethendy Trust, the Perth and Kinross Educational Trust, The Cray Trust, The Souter Trust, everyone at the Dunblane branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland and to a lot of folk at the Stirling Royal Infirmary and the Falkirk Royal Infirmary who donated very generously in support of my rudderless sailing stunt.

And very special thanks to my dad, if it wasn’t for his constant and annoying nagging I wouldn’t be going at all!

I am leaving from Edinburgh airport early afternoon on Sunday 6th and will be arriving in Ulaan Baatar on Monday 7th late evening after passing through London Heathrow and Seoul in South Korea, I’m not looking forward to the flying parts but navigating the airports should be fun and/or interesting, can’t wait for Seoul- it looks pretty fancy. And there should be sushi somewhere on the 4th floor.

Till Mongolia.....