Some people say that that was the quickest mid life crisis they have ever seen. Hit fourty and quit my job to go travelling, bang just like that. Well I actually handed in my notice two days before my birthday, so I guess it was just, slightly, pre mid life crisis. Furthermore, I believe that I will live to 93 so that pushes the crisis well into the realm of pre pre mid life crisis.
What is more, lets face it, life is full of crisis – the type of crisis that is easy to deny. Crammed on public transport as we suffer a job we don’t really want to do, only to pay for our overpriced existence. Violence in the papers, war, death and plague spurting from televisions, bread going stale etc.
Crisis is everywhere. We can hide this crisis and place it under the banner of “Not my problem” or “It is the way that it is” or “Things will get better”. We can accept that crisis is not part of the crisis. Most importantly we have to question, does it make me feel good?
So every good plan needs a plan.
Quit job and work out 3 month notice. This will allow the company plenty of time to re structure itself and figure out what on earth I did for them.
Carry out one month TEFL (Teaching English as a foreign Language) course. It’s always good to have a safety net as fall back. Also it makes my English betterer and will aid in learning something foreign.
Move to India. Everything about the country facinates me. Plus, I love curry and yoga.
In India I intend to carry out atleast 3 months charity work. Not too sure of the reasons behind this yet. Whether it is: maybe I am a good person or maybe I need the impression that I am a good person or maybe I do these things and become a good person. This I am not sure of.
After the charity work, for whatever its reasons, I intend to travel. I want to see as much of India as possible, spend time in Ashrams, travel to Nepal and go to Everest base camp, travel to Myanmar (Burma) and catch a boat to the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Carrying out Yoga, photography, writing and getting close to the people and culture are essential to the plan.
Over the coming months this plan will evolve. Place names, time and goals will hang off it like a brightly decorated Christmas tree. Eventually there will be a structure to the plan where all its integral parts will exist in symbiotic to one another with enough space to grow and be fluid.
Planning the plan builds the dream in the head. The dream becomes the future and ultimately becomes the past.
3 comments
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March 8, 2008 at 6:36 am
A. N. Nanda
Hi,
You are absolutely right in decidin to visit India and mor so in deciding to tour the Andamans. No doubt the islands are as good as or even better than the way they can ever be narrated. With all its breathtaking scenic manifestations and cool ambience it qualifies the sobriquet “The Dream Destination” in India. I stayed at Port Blair between 1995 to 1998 and I can vouch for that.
I even wrote a book of short stories entirely set in the islands. Entitled as “The Remix of Orchid”, the book has a warm-hearted foreword by Mr Ruskin Bond. My website http://remixoforchid.blogspot.com has more details…
Thanks
Nanda
http://ramblingnanda.blogspot.com
http://remixoforchid.blogspot.com
May 24, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Maghin
I just came across your blog while looking for articles on the ills of skin-whitening creams of all things (I was particularly amused that you were given a bottle for use after a marathon!). I just wanted to say I’ve really enjoyed reading through some of your entries and look forward to reading through the rest. As someone else who has recently moved to India from England I can relate to a lot of your experiences though I’m here for totally different reasons and I have a long association with this country (not least through my origin).
May 28, 2009 at 8:50 am
colinlaidlaw
Thanks for the kind words, I am pleased you have enjoyed this blog.
col