Only 18 months later

Since I last wrote a blog entry, only a poxy 18 months have passed. Son of a gun, how time does fly. So, a new blog name, a new design and the blog's new lease of life. 

I realised I shouldn't be tied down to the fact that the blog was formerly focussed on South Africa. I will just change the name! Nor should I worry that blogging is often perceived as being somewhat 'self indulgent' (to quote the kindest term I've heard used). When I read my posts back, it's like leafing through an old diary; nostalgic and comforting. So if that's self-indulgence then so be it.

Quite a bit has happened over the past year and a half and similarly, lots of exciting things are imminent. I'm going to stick to what I love best and write you a little list.

1) I returned from an extraordinary year living in South Africa. Nothing will ever tarnish the memories I made during 2012. 

2) I'm living at home and loving every minute..! You can guarantee I'll be the one out of us four still living here when I'm 30.

3) Rog & I survived (barely) a year of long distance. After a few trips out to Cape Town on my end and one to the UK on his end, we decided enough was enough and he has now settled in the Big Smoke that is London. I am very happy to have him here.

4) I have been working with children with Special Needs since returning, a job that has been fulfilling, demanding and emotional all muddled into one. This September I am starting a masters in Clinical Nutrition which is an exciting new step for me.

5) My big brother Matt and wonderful girlfriend Thitima are engaged and Emma and I will be the proud bridesmaids this May.

6) I took a fantastic trip to San Diego ("drink it in, it always goes down smooth") in February to visit Mum & Dad. It was a very special time of sunshine, cycling and salads. 

7) Emma and I are off to Central America next week for some culture seizing, volcano hiking and rum drinking gaiety/ exuberance/ merrymaking (what brilliant words). 

8) This is the year I get a dog.

End of TEP 2012

The goals of The EXPEDITION Project 2012 were very clear – we weren’t out to change the world or ‘save Africa’ (well not just yet), and we definitely didn’t want to re-invent the wheel. We needed to establish the foundation and contacts needed to carry out this project successfully each year following 2012.

200 towns were identified to visit during the course of 2012 starting on the 1^st January 2012 and then approximately 100 more would be identified in 2013. These +- 300 towns will then be re-visited annually in order for The EXPEDITION Project to be ‘Africa’s first sustainable and annually operating expedition’. Each year we will connect with the same people, businesses and initiatives as well as new people, businesses and initiatives, and by doing so find out the real situations, solutions and pitfalls across South Africa. These will be advertised via several mediums in an attempt to bring South Africa positively closer together and eventually inspire solutions rather than more problems. The foundation has now been laid in 2012 and so now the real work begins. This is only the beginning.

Join us as we plan for #TEP2013.