Adult Life

1.5 years after coming back from half a year in Burkina Faso, and a year after my little comeback trip to Africa, I find myself once again packing and preparing for a new adventure abroad.

Turkey – after West Africa, a longterm stay there seems like peanuts. They have roads, regulations, and budget airlines connecting to the Netherlands. There are proper shopping malls, and at least one season in which it can freeze: what more proof is there that a country is part of the Western world?

The past year, I have been busy with what one can call Adult Life. I got a job, a proper one, and all the responsibilities that come with it. And actually: it’s not that bad. The job is nice, and challenging, and comes with a lot of Opportunities. And they give me money, more than I ever had as a student, so I can go shopping twice a month, eat out four times a week, and still deposit a reasonable amount of money on my savings account each month.

I have also been busy bonding with the European continent: I felt I had neglected it. I’ve been to Oxford, London, Porto, Luxembourg, Valencia, Brussels – and – Istanbul. That was where it started.

One of the Opportunities that come along with the job, is to work abroad for a few months. I tried to think what would look good on my cv, which would most probably have been Brussels. But then I realised that I might be taking this Adult Life-thing too far, and decided to go for a job in a country which intrigues me, where I need to make an effort in order to understand the customs, the politics and the people. So, Turkey it is.

I’m not gone yet: I still have two weeks. But preparations have begun, so let’s say I’ll keep you posted!