At the bottom of the same mountain

When my friend Marylou got married, she scoffed at the idea that somehow that day represented the pinnacle of one's life (a girl's in particular).  "If anything," she surmised, "I feel like David and I are starting out at the bottom of the same mountain, maybe in the same car."  Not a pessimist, a realist - the world as it really is.  Which is why I love her.

In a few days, I will be relocating with my daughter Sara, 12, and my son Lorne 7,  to South Africa, which many of you know, is one of my lifelong dreams.  Until I think of Marylou's statement.  Perhaps the three of us are in the same car, at the bottom of (Table) Mountain.

I will be working on a short-term contract with a national non-profit research think tank, helping to implement a web-based data centre, that will provide on-demand market data on low and moderate income areas across the country to entice economic development there.  It is work I have been involved in ever since my career in community development took a veer in January 2009.  I loved telling people I was the Director of Grants for a national non-profit grant maker, my reason for living in three words.  Now, when people ask what I do, what I do is sigh.  Director of Grants for a national non-profit, I lie.  Do they mean like right now?

I hope to use the blog to share my experiences and lessons learned in three areas: what living overseas is like to encourage many of my American friends, what accomplishing a lifelong goal is like, to encourage all my friends, and to explore why I have been called to live in South Africa, to encourage myself.  Why?  Why South Africa?  lets find out ...

Hope you stick with me, and share your experiences too.