My GK story; where do I start? It was challenging and fulfilling, amazing and chaotic (-ly fun). It was life-changing and I realised that when I returned home to Sydney, my clothes weren't the only things that no longer fit!
Going into GK, I knew I didn't adequately prepare myself for the journey that I was about to embark upon and share with 76 other gatters and the many locals that touched our lives in countless ways.
I knew it would be something fantastic but this predetermined knowledge cannot prepare you for the actual feelings that you are overcome by when you experience first hand, what it feels like to be accepted as a member of your host family and the village that you are based in.
Opening yourself up to people, ideas and experiences is challenging but the growth that you experience and the lessons that you learn from being open-minded and opening your heart to everyone and everything is empowering and life-lasting.
This openness that I felt was a natural manifestation of being on GKYGAT, for it goes back to the saying "it's not about building houses, it's about building communities". This saying was what enticed me to sign up for GK in the first place.
Now that I’m back in Australia, I want to be able to share this openness and ‘willingness to build’ relationships and strengthen communities within our own Australian context.
I urge anyone who is thinking of going on GK to transform that thought into action by registering for GKYGAT 08. Furthermore, I urge you to be open to all possibilities.
This openness that I felt was a natural manifestation of being on GKYGAT, for it goes back to the saying "it's not about building houses, it's about building communities". This saying was what enticed me to sign up for GK in the first place.
