Most incredible two months of my life!

For a lot of people, the thought of going to a place you've never been before on you own can be really scary, and for me that was exactly how i felt. Myself along with four others were lucky enough to be the first volunteers to step into London House, the new beautiful volunteer house in Ambalangoda and we were welcomed by Ashika, the most amazing coordinator you could ask for and instantly i felt at home!
I did 7 weeks volunteering at the girls orphanage and my final week at the turtle conservation. One thing i wasn't that aware of before i came to Sri Lanka was that i would be teaching english at the orphanage for the first 1h30minutes so i came with no resources and occasionally struggled to think of lesson plans, however it was so rewarding seeing the children develop, and their love for english grow. I am so happy i spent my final week volunteering with the turtles. Even though the routine each day is very similar, somehow every day got better and better! There's something so special and heartwarming about caring for turtles! I was lucky enough to take part in several turtle releases and witness a hatching.
Every weekend we would go off travelling and I definitely saw more of Sri Lanka that i expected! I went on both the Yala and Culture Triangle weekend trips which i fully recommend. Busses and trains especially are ridiculously cheap (Amba->Kandy which took over 6 hours by train cost 290rs/£1.50!) and you'll usually find hostels for around £5 a night. Whether i was walking through Ambalangoda or staying away in another backpacker town, i always felt safe and was so nice to know that if we ran into any problems we had in-country support so there was always someone to call/message.
The accommodation was so amazing and as mentioned above, I was staying in the brand new volunteer house. The sisters cooked the most amazing food for us and there was not one meal that i didn't enjoy. They even tried to make us feel at home with fish and chips once a week!
Before booking my 8 weeks with PMGY, i was unsure how long to go for and was worried 8 weeks would be too long but i was so wrong! It went way to quickly and didn't want to leave at the end of my time there! You get so attached to the country, along with the relaxed way of life there!

I could not have wished for a better two months in Sri Lanka with Plan My Gap Year and i'd like to thank Ashika and the coordinators Manoj Sani Ishan Kasun Jagard and NC for the amazing support!