Mongolia was the Making of Me.

Due to immense competition for places last year, I didn’t manage to get into the university I wanted and so, almost impulsively, booked a trip to Mongolia in my year out. My gap year was far from planned or thought through!
As my friends started to leave for university, I realised that I wanted a new and challenging experience too. They were off doing new things, meeting new people and generally having the time of their lives whereas I was still stuck here, in Kent! I started looking around the internet at placements and stumbled upon Projects Abroad. I booked my placement with them completely blindly but it was undoubtedly the best thing I have ever done and I could not have asked for more from an organisation.
I actually co-founded a charity whilst I was out there with my desk officer at Projects Abroad. The name of the charity is the Dream Discovery Academy of Mongolia and one of our aims is to teach Health and Safety in care and education placements. We also aim to teach dream and career outreach. This year we are planning a summer camp in the middle of June for 50 under privileged children through Dream Team England , headed up by me here. I also rode a Mongolian horse in a snowy valley (just magical if incredibly scary), a Bactrian camel, I learnt how to make Mongolian food and met a Mongolian pop star!
I have learnt so much about myself through these experiences. My Dad said to me, before I left, “you are going to come off that plane in April a completely different person” and, as much as I found that laughable at the time, he was so right. I know so much more about my strengths- I can lead, make new friends, adapt and live away from home- things that I never thought myself capable of. It has been a life changing experience and has given me the best imaginable start coming to university this year. I’m only sad that this all had to come to an end so soon! I could have (contrary to what I thought I would want to do) easily gone another two months in Ulaanbaatar!
I would recommend Projects Abroad Mongolia unreservedly. If you are even the slightest bit unsure about entering higher education, defer your entry and travel, even if it is only for a month! I am an advertisement that anyone can travel and survive!