Reintegration

November 8, 2009 and I have been home for approximately six weeks. For the most part I'm content back in my 'former' life but given that I have seen the other side a part of me already is anxious to go again. After six weeks I'm a malcontent.

While there are many hardships in doing overseas work, there are many benefits as well. Normal people don't do things where the losses exceed the benefit, and in overseas work the lifestyle quickly accords with you. Ironic in that in some sense you wait for your time to get "out" but when you are you quickly want to get back to it. So will I do it again? the answer is obvious: I would go in a heartbeat whenever that opportunity presents itself again. Professionally the best solution would be to work at my real job in Winnipeg until retirement and then pursue overseas work thereafter to exploit the double dip: a generous pension while earning six figures doing other work somewhere in the world.

When you have seen a larger portion of the world as I have been fortunate enough to do, you become more cognizant of your current situation. In my case I have a good, challenging career with good people in a wonderful environment yet I'm not content in this cacoon of comfort and safety. I quickly became acutely aware of the routine my life swiftly became and the internal need for something else that led me to accept the last assignment. The adventure spirit has been born within me and being immersed into the status quo yet again is unsettling and doesn't satisfy what you want or you think you need in your life.

As I have expressed previously the need to do additional overseas work is not based on the extra money you make, or all the money you don't spend. While the extra renumeration is never unwelcome it is not the prime motivator. It is the lifestyle. You are treated very well in an attempt to make you as comfortable as possible to combat to some degree all that you have given up. This includes business class travel (how do I ever travel coach again?), nice hotels, and a generous living allowance to ensure you never go hungry. When your at your choosen destination every attempt is made to ensure your living environment is as good or better than that you left. This coupled with the opportunity to live in a world you wouldn't otherwise visit and experience the place as a resident, not a tourist.

The thought of moving addresses prior to my overseas adventure was not in the least palatable. Now I realize it is not really a big deal. You quickly meet new friends, and develop a new life that fits more appropriately with the environment you now live. While you will always miss what you have lost previously, again the benefits keeping you away surpasses that which you miss. The thought does not scare me anymore.

While I have not good reason to continue the blog I will try nonetheless to both keep my mind alive and to keep my writing skills (or lack thereof) in tune.

Now all I can do is wait
And see how much of life is fate?