Those of you who know me well will realize that there is an emerging theme in the events of my life. It is that everything I thought and declared with certainty would never happen, does. Maybe I’m searching for change. Maybe I enjoy pushing my limits. Maybe I’m just confused. There’s probably a bit of truth to all those statements. Let me give you some examples.
Driving back from the mountains with my Dad one day after a tiring day of skiing, he suggested that I should do a Masters degree. I laughed, declared I was tired of school and was ready to get out and work as soon as I was done. Fast forward 2 years, and I’m in the final weeks of my dissertation (like a mini thesis) for my Masters Degree from the University of Cambridge. While I’m not sure that this degree was what my Dad had in mind when he made that comment, it has been both unexpected and one of the most rewarding years of my life.
I came into this degree and this year with a very clear vision for what I would study and where my life would lead me. I was going to study wind energy (especially the distribution and efficiency of wind turbines) in the UK. Within a month, those plans had been turned on end. Instead, I researched the roles of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations in the development sector with a focus on irrigation in Nepal. Not a lot of parallels between the original and actual ends.
Some of you may remember well that along with my plans to study wind energy, I had aims to pursue a career in this field with a UK or International consultancy for a few years. Despite my previous involvement with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Canada, you may also recall that I was not (nor did I expect to become) interested in pursuing development work in Africa. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that as of January 2008 I became actively interested in EWB’s overseas work, as of March I had applied to an overseas position, and as of May I had accepted a long-term (1 year) placement with EWB Canada in Africa.
So ending this intense year with redefined priorities and perspectives and going into a new one that promises to be even more drastic, I’m left wondering what else I’ll “never do” because if this year is any example, there’s a good chance that that is where my path will take me next.
