Adventures Imminent

For those just joining me, welcome. I'm currently less than 24 hours away from leaving home for the mid-east where life is a very different proposition.

I'm caught in the tension between the minutiae of final errands / packing / cleaning and the knowledge that in just a couple of days I'll be experiencing the often raw existence of people caught up in a conflict zone. One day in comfortable affluent Perth grumbling about the heat, the next in a place where almost every day people are harassed, beaten or even killed for trying to walk to school or tend to their daily business. Sitting here in front of a fan listening to iTunes while I type, that all feels a long way away but tomorrow night that distance will evaporate quickly.

In one way, I feel under-prepared amidst the busy-ness of late, but in another way I feel like I've been preparing for this for a long time, and there is a sense of right-ness and calm that comes with that. I know that this will be an incredible experience, and that engaging with people and cultures in the mid-east has been hugely enriching for me previously. I know that the hospitality and generosity of these cultures and people won't have changed, and I'm looking forward to being surrounded by that again, and to the new experiences that await.

For now, looking forward to sleep and getting on the plane (or the other way around). So, back to packing my socks . . .