Now What?

I now have just over 3 weeks to go at TICH. After that my plans are uncertain. I’ve been away from Canada for close to six months now, but I’m still enjoying the adventure. Also, I’m very much aware that my leave of absence from BC Hydro is a unique opportunity and that the next time I have a break this long I’ll likely be of an age more appropriate for bus tours to Reno.

I’m still interested in doing volunteer work overseas. There is a chance of getting a new VSO assignment in a different country. However, this will be difficult as most VSO postings are for two-year terms and I have to be back at my job at BC Hydro by no later than March 2007. VSO does have some one-year assignments, but not very many.

I also plan to contact Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF-Doctors Without Borders) about getting back on their on-call list for financial controllers. I had previously gone through their screening process (I even had to write an exam…yes, I passed) and had just been put on their on-call list when I accepted the VSO offer to come to Kenya. With MSF even once you’re on their list there is still no guarantee of ever actually getting called. They have only about 70 controller positions world wide (half of them require French) so it comes down to the timing of their needs and who else is available. Support staff postings are usually for one year.

Therefore, while I do have a few possibilities I consider them to be long shots. Consequently, there is a good chance that my overseas adventure will come to a premature end. Assuming that a new opportunity doesn’t arise I will eventually make my way back to Canada, probably by October. After that who knows? I’m actually enjoying this state of uncertainty as it allows for all kinds of scenarios. I know that no one back in Canada will believe it, but the timing of my change in circumstances in Kenya and that of the settlement of the NHL labour dispute is purely coincidental. Really!

Even if something does come-up with VSO or MSF it would likely be several months before I would be required. So in the short term I’ll take the opportunity to do some more travelling in Africa. I’m currently looking at a journey that would include Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania (Mount Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar) and the Kenyan coast. When having a mid-life crisis, one needs to be flexible.