I was there for 2.5 hours before Livho, George, Rasta and Stume broke through the office door.
No one was aware I was locked in for the first 2 hours.
I didn't want to cause a fuss.
~ The Life of Mohau ~
The Route
View Full Size Travel Map at Travellerspoint
See you in February...
It's been a long time coming but finally I've made a commitment to take in more of the world. From August 2014 until February 2015 I am visiting some of our planet's well known and lesser known places - and all just before I reach the big three zero.
Having been something I always did hope to do 'in my twenties' - and with time running out - I've been lucky enough to agree a sabbatical as Senior Transport Planner at Paul Basham Associates.
So, I'm putting my life in Fareham on hold for 5 months. I'm leaving behind an excellent new team at work and putting the brilliant new Panjazz International Samba group in the capable hands of my project friends. I will be saying bye for now to my parents, family and friends - all for the unknown and in the name of life experience.
For the first 3 months I am joining up with my brother Chris who lives in Lesotho, southern Africa, to volunteer with youth development project Kick4Life. I know I'm not going to save the world and I won't find this an easy experience. But hopefully I can only mainly help around the place, applying skills picked up over the past few years as I assist in the office and also help co-ordinate two tour groups from the UK.
From December 1st I'll be spending 2 weeks hopefully helping Panjazz International with its efforts in South Africa. From here I'll be heading for India (via Dubai) which will include the lagoons of Kerala, Christmas day at the Taj Mahal and a view out to The Himilayas in Nepal.
After I look at Everest I'll become a Malaysian Airlines passenger and hopefully reach Hong Kong before hitting the rails to Shanghai and Beijing. After a couple of weeks it's off to the US, taking in the east coast from Washington to Boston.
Finally, all fingers and toes crossed, I will be reaching Iceland, spending a few days taking in life as a twenty-something while looking up at the northern lights...
Well, that's the plan. Flights are booked. Blogging about this experience has been a dilemma. I doubt it will be too frequent and is unlikely to reveal my inner most thoughts. At the least (mum) there is a helpful map so you can see where I am! Of course I'll be in touch anyway...
I hope to come back a more decisive, assertive and patient person. Hopefully I'll see more good, more often, in more people. I hope I'll be more relaxed but slightly less a soft touch, maybe. I hope to feel good about 'Development' and have only mainly helped and not hindered those involved. I hope to survive India in one piece, successfully get through China and still have some money left by the time I get to the US. I hope during the last 3 days in Iceland I can look back on what was a good decision. Having completed 30 stops altogether, I hope to hit Heathrow ready to rejoin a great workforce with thriving graduates, a music project with a large Samba band and committed leaders, a busy steel band, and my family and friends.
Hopefully I'll come back ready to knuckle down with life in the UK. Who knows, by the time I'm 30 I may even think about settling down...
Thank you to everyone who has helped make this dream a reality for me and putting up with any of the frustrations that it's caused. I will miss you.
Andy
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