Another one down...
I think I'll define the past year as beginning in mid-November 2004, when I hit Botswana and my life veered substantially from its rather mundane original path. Since then, I´ve made my first visits to nine countries - a personal best! In chronological order : Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Zambia, Zimbabwe (surprisingly glorious), Mozambique, Swaziland, Costa Rica, Nicaragua. I´ve lived in 7 different homes and had 6 different jobs (including studenthood). I've stumbled through half of my master's degree and learned a reasonable chunk of a not-too-foreign language. I've eaten unspeakable quantities of fried chicken, beef stew, and beans and rice... and precious little ostrich, warthog, antelope, and mophane (don't ask). I swam with a whale shark, scaled a few mountains I shouldn't have underestimated, and stared mouth agape at a wild baby elephant. I visited ancient cities I saw in video games 15 years ago (and never assumed were actually real) and villages a day´s horseback ride from the nearest road, spent many consecutive days without either going indoors or putting shoes on, and flirted with death a couple of times I shouldn't have. I met hundreds of new and fascinating people and made a handful of new lifelong friends. I witnessed quite a few things I wish I hadn't and even got my first eyeball sunburn, but I neither caught malaria nor otherwise died, so things have gone as well as I could have hoped for. It's been my most eventful year, methinks.I think it unlikely that 2006 will bring as many stories to tell, but it's worth a shot. If I'm lucky, I'll visit Panama, Peru, and maybe even China. I'll finish this degree and get back to selling my soul to corporate taskmasters and accumulating pricey electronic trinkets... or I could go back to Africa. Also, given a minute dose of luck and a generous dollop of the good sense that I occasionally lacked in the past year, I'll survive 2006 with few additional scars.
Those few who still visit this site, thanks for your tolerant and patient patronage, and in 2006 I'll return with much more detail.
My predictable resolution: blog more!
posted by Paul @ 1:16 PM
7 Comments:
I read your writings! I like to know what people are up to, especially when they are ever so far away!
You have indeed had quite the year. Aside from your world travels, you've also had a lot of wild personal stories too.
Before you take off again, though, you have to spend some time here at home, with meeeee! You do still think of it as home, don't you???
Bree - of course Vancouver is still home! I'm intent on spending some time there soon, and will definitely be in town for your nuptials. I'll need a job right after graduating, and for the time being Vancouver may be the best place to find one. Plus the food is better there than anywhere else.
Natasha - Thanks, and I still have to tell you about the sunburnt eyeballs.
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