A Little Girl's Dream

I'm scared.

No, I'm absolutely terrified.

Hang on, let's try this again....

I'm Tracy, one of the Girlguiding IST members for Roverway 2012. I'm slightly addicted to blogging and, when Colette told me there was going to be a Roverway blog, I bounced up and down like an overexcited puppy.

I've always wanted to go on an international event, ever since I was a little girl. As a Brownie, I looked at pictures of the world centres and dreamed of going to Our Chalet or a Guiding trip to Paris. But I never thought it would happen. I watched with envy as Sarah (a girl in my year at school) got selected time and again to go abroad with Scouts. But there were no opportunities offered to Guides. I began to think they just didn't exist.

My Roverway journey began at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham last year. My Guides were doing a sponsored walk to raise money for Oxfam and we didn't have enough adults. Being a stickler for the rules (it's been said in the past that the manual is my holy book and I pray to the BP family), I roped in some friends to make up numbers.

They were preparing for Jamboree in Sweden and I was sighing wistfully. After the walk, we sat to eat our picnics and Colette said, "You're coming to Roverway, aren't you?' I said yes but never thought it could happen. I didn't think I'd get selected, didn't think I could get time off work, didn't think I could cope with a country where I didn't speak the language or the woodland camping. I didn't think I could afford it, didn't think I'd have my unit's support.

But now I'm here, with four sleeps to go, finally going on the international trip that I've always dreamed of. And I'm terrified!

I'm terrified, but I'm excited too. It's something I've wanted for years and it will test my limits. I will meet new people and learn new skills (avoid my catering area for a few days, until I have got the hang of it and I'm not going to poison you!!) and I'm going to swap lots of pretty badges.

I might be the oldest IST member(at the absolutely prehistoric age of 27!) but I'm just as scared, excited and absolutely reeling as the rest of you!

For the moment, though, I need to finish my washing. Sadly I'm too old to get my mother to pack my bag (though I could do with a kit list!).