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Trip Start
Jan 07, 2006
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Trip End
Sep 15, 2006
It seems a long time since I've composed a group email and I'm sure many of you thought that they were a thing of the past!! I'm afraid not, I'm coming towards the end of a two year adventure and I thought that some of you may have an interest in where I've been for the last few months and where the next 12 will take me.The latest few months in Africa have been based throughout Southern Sudan which has been interesting, exciting, varied and, on occasion, somewhat trying! I've had the usual round of close shaves, cold sweats, hairy flights and sleepless nights. These have all been combined with moments of pure hilarity, breathtaking boredom or desperate sadness. This year has seen me develop as a person, carve new ambitions for myself and re-assess which areas of my life are important and which can be allowed to grow in their own time. For that change I am grateful to DDG for giving me a job, to UNHCR for putting up with me and everyone I've met on the way for enduring my mistakes, my impatience and my continual questions.So after a total of 26 months that have seen me live in Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan and DR Congo I think I need a break. I also need to fill in the large hole in my CV where some kind of academic achievement should be. To that end, I've been very fortunate in that the University of London, and Royal Holloway College in particular, have taken my very generous referees at their word and, despite my lack of an undergraduate degree, offered me a place on a masters course. So the next 12 months will see me swap sub-Saharan African for Surrey, explosives for essays and landmines for lectures! I'll be moving into a student life based out of a delightful new pad in Egham. Next to the university, a short commute into London and a short walk to the expanse of Windsor Great Park it suits my needs perfectly, and also happens to have a spare room if anyone is interested in sharing? Suburban life does seem like bliss right now but I can't believe that it will be long before my feet start to itch, I watch reports from far away places with longing and start googling "dangerous places on a budget"! Anyway, until then, I am looking forward to nights in front of Sky TV and the advantages of in-door washing facilities.Having said all that, I'm hoping that the next 12 months won't be entirely dedicated to watching sky sports in my slippers and the relentless pursuit of academic excellence. Many of you will have had to endure my long and, probably somewhat tedious, chat about business plans over the last few months. Rest assured that they are all still being hatched and I anticipate that the University of London School of Management will be an excellent place from which to seek investment and polish proposals. I also anticipate trying to re-capture some kind of social life as for the last 9 years I have been largely at the disposal of my job and have rarely found myself in a position to host my friends or enjoy the regular company of anyone other than colleagues. I plan to make amends for that this year and thoroughly look forward to having friends over for supper, popping out to the pub for a drink, joining sports clubs and enjoying the fruits of the London social scene. I trust I will be able to find enough old friends to keep me company in these pursuits?So that's about it for me, back home in the middle of September to start an MSc. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone and it would be great if those of you who have lost touch over the last couple of years got back in contact, I would love to catch up.
