Well, that’s that bit over – completely stuffed with assorted roast wildfowl, wine and chocolate, and feeling the worse for it, too! Now that all the festivities, and any associated overindulgence-related embarrassments, are over, it’s time to get down to business and start writing the next chapter of my life. A new year, new beginning…
Phase 1 of which is, spookily, this sparkly, all-singing, all-dancing, brand spanking new website. Which, in case you were wondering, isn’t finished yet. Keep checking back as I apply the finishing touches. It should all be ready to be ‘officially’ opened/published by January 16th, 2015.
‘Why this particular date?’ I hear you ask…
Well, thats the date I leave for my next great ‘adventure’…
Ten glorious months in COLOMBIA!
It has been in the planning stages for quite some time now – about 3 years. The overall plan was to break free of a life of being a corporate clone and mortgage slave, and live MY life the way I wanted to. Life is short, you only get one, and there is NO excuse for frittering away decades doing something that you aren’t passionate about. SO… a successful but ultimately boring corporate career came to a close, and a digital nomad was born!
The plan has been running a little behind schedule, about 18 months or so, due to the vagaries of the UK housing market. It took WAY longer to sell one of my properties than it should have done – but Hey – it’s done now. I can now fund the next phase. During this time, I have been endlessly honing, changing, tweaking and otherwise messing with the finer details of the plan. But the long-term target has always remained the same – live my life according to the things I am passionate about (Photography, Travel and Teaching), and not worry so much about the trappings of the rat-race. To this end, I have been selling all (well, most) of the pointless toys I have spent decades accumulating, and reducing my life to what I actually need to be a digital nomad – a computer, iPad, phone, a camera or two, and some clothes.
Why Colombia? Because first on my list of ‘things to do’ was learn another language. Like too many bloody Brits, I only speak one language – English – which is kinda embarrassing, considering I do so much travelling. It was also a big, glaring hole in my otherwise moderately impressive CV.
So which language should I learn? Mandarin Chinese is the biggest language in the world in terms of numbers speaking it, but it was just TOO different/difficult to take on as my first ‘Second Language’. English is third biggest (and I can already do that one quite well) , so what was second? Spanish!
The original plan was to move to Spain to learn it, but I have had several Colombian students in the last two years, all of whom completely sold me on their gorgeous homeland. Why not Rosetta Stone or evening classes in the UK? Because I have seen firsthand, as an ESL Teacher, that the best (only?) way to learn a language was to go to the country and totally immerse yourself in it. Being forced to speak the language every day will be just the way to hammer home the language quickly. My students inspired me to do what they did – it works so well for them! And Colombia looked just so, well.. amazing! Lovely weather, beautiful women, culture, salsa, music, coffee, festivals, food, beaches, jungles, mountains… oh, and football as well. Apparently. Although I may give that bit a miss.
So that is where I am at the moment. The new website is up and running, and I plan to be blogging my tales of derring-do in Medellin (and elsewhere) on a regular basis. I am spending the next few weeks finalising all the details, and then VOOM – I’m off! I will be working diligently on my portfolio while I’m out there, so expect plenty of new photos to be posted. Video, too, although you may have to put up with me learning my craft with that one. Moving images are another ‘new trick’ this ‘old dog’ is going to HAVE to learn. It is the 21st Century, after all…
So keep checking back – you never know what shenanigans I may have been up to. I am looking into enabling subscription to the blog, so you never need miss a single one of my demented rants or wistful ramblings.
catherines plus size says
You should take part in a contest for one of the best blogs on the web. I will recommend this site!
Tony says
Why, thank you Catherine! Although I am not actually aware of such a contest… But I am glad you like it! ?