A sudden rush of temptation...
VSO are recruiting right now for people with experience in volunteer management. Like, you know, I have. With some fundraising experience in there too. Like, you know, I have.
There are currently jobs going in Cambodia, China and Sierra Leone.
I know I can't really go right now, due to pierot's course and things, but my brain is tingling, just with the knowledge that that's something I could still do, and, in fact, somewhere where I'd be far more useful than I was when I first ran off to go volunteer overseas. The world has a lot of earnest 20 year olds who want to change the world. There are fewer thirty-something professionals willing to put their life on hold and go.
My other dream right now is going backpacking again. I didn't think I'd say that for a while; after my last backpacking jaunt with the glorious quisalan I said I would, in future, either do a proper stint working abroad (a la VSO) or I'd go on holiday. I'd either get to know a place properly, or unapologetically bounce through. However, the longer I leave it, the more I realize how precious my memories of that time in my life are. At the time, spoilt and far too used to regular travelling (I travelled a lot between the ages of 18 and 25 - Nepal, Croatia, Tanzania, USA, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Sri Lanka) I didn't realize how incredible my experiences were. And they've stayed with me. I still remember sunset over the Amazon. I remember how bright the light was on the salt flats of Bolivia, how clear the stars were on the Inca Trail. I remember the amazing huge waves off the coast of Chile. I remember the silly moments too; my threatening to throw Krys to the piranhas (they weren't dolphins!), the crazy stories we told each other to amuse ourselves on long bus rides, the way we giggled at the guy who kept trying to chat us up when we claimed we were married but fled when we said we were protestants.
It was an awesome, awesome experience. And I think I'd like to do that again.
So, I guess this is a continuation of 'where would I like to be in ten years time'. I'd like to have found a way of taking off again and finding some more adventures to have. Because I might be 33 but I'm not sure that I'm done quite yet.
There are currently jobs going in Cambodia, China and Sierra Leone.
I know I can't really go right now, due to pierot's course and things, but my brain is tingling, just with the knowledge that that's something I could still do, and, in fact, somewhere where I'd be far more useful than I was when I first ran off to go volunteer overseas. The world has a lot of earnest 20 year olds who want to change the world. There are fewer thirty-something professionals willing to put their life on hold and go.
My other dream right now is going backpacking again. I didn't think I'd say that for a while; after my last backpacking jaunt with the glorious quisalan I said I would, in future, either do a proper stint working abroad (a la VSO) or I'd go on holiday. I'd either get to know a place properly, or unapologetically bounce through. However, the longer I leave it, the more I realize how precious my memories of that time in my life are. At the time, spoilt and far too used to regular travelling (I travelled a lot between the ages of 18 and 25 - Nepal, Croatia, Tanzania, USA, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Sri Lanka) I didn't realize how incredible my experiences were. And they've stayed with me. I still remember sunset over the Amazon. I remember how bright the light was on the salt flats of Bolivia, how clear the stars were on the Inca Trail. I remember the amazing huge waves off the coast of Chile. I remember the silly moments too; my threatening to throw Krys to the piranhas (they weren't dolphins!), the crazy stories we told each other to amuse ourselves on long bus rides, the way we giggled at the guy who kept trying to chat us up when we claimed we were married but fled when we said we were protestants.
It was an awesome, awesome experience. And I think I'd like to do that again.
So, I guess this is a continuation of 'where would I like to be in ten years time'. I'd like to have found a way of taking off again and finding some more adventures to have. Because I might be 33 but I'm not sure that I'm done quite yet.