Definitions of madness: - to do the same thing tomorrow as you did yesterday and expect different results...

Perusing dates between this blog and last will quickly inform you of the punctuality issues I've been having. So here's the thing...

I got rather used to the laid back lifestyle whilst in Africa and wrestling with wifi became so laborious I gave up on the whole frequent blogging promise. This I know is a real shame because I now have no electronic testemant of my time in Senegal only scribbles in a scruffy diary I kept... sort of.

To be honest I think I needed to disconnect. As a recent advert proclaimed 'we're connected but not connecting.' In truth I had to step away from blogging/facebook etc and just live an uncluttered life for a little while. I make no secret about being someone who is a chocolate box perfectionist, I am constantly comparing and while these traits serve me well when I'm ambitious or motivated, they are sometimes to my detriment. It was an antidote to my restlessness to slow down and focus only on the now.

I fear I'll never be able to adequately convey quite how much Senegal has moved and changed me. The sun, sea and surf unfurled me, made me reflect on who I am, what I am and who I want to be. I fell in love...I fell out of love...I made friends, great friends, tried to surf, ate waves, ate fish, I cried, lived voraciously and above all I lived in the moment without boundaries. Returning home has been hard, especially as I had to do so earlier than intended.

In Dakar airport, I read on the toilet door a note somebody had written it said this:

Hitch hiking around West Africa scared shitless but loving it. Heading home now...

I know what she meant. West Africa pushes up against you like the 8am commute, she makes you uncomfortable but when you leave her you miss her heat and intensity. Perhaps this is idealistic, perhaps this is just vacation euphoria dislodging my sensabilities but I plan to return to Senegal to live. I have a plan. You want to hear it?

Ok. THE PLAN.

I'm going to do two things.

1) Teach Yoga

2) Run a horse riding buisness across Yoff Beach.

The bits in between are a) get better at surfing b) have my own house c) be happy d) try not to fall in love with too many locals e) be happy.

I'm not well travelled, but I do know that Senegal at this moment in time suits me, I need somewhere where I'm not worrying that my career is lack lustre or that I haven't published anything of significance, I need a place without T.V. where I can run on a beach and have a dog and rescue cats and somewhere to do meditation to the sounds of waves.

So now aside from recovering from shingles and suspected malaria, I'm writing buisness plans, trying to learn french and finding any kind of work to save, save, save.

I won't promise I'll update regularly because. Well. We've all been witness to my tardiness but I am going to try and keep you posted on my progress. Here's counting the days down until Senegal...

Leggelegge

(see you later in Wolof).

x