Time to reflect

As the year comes to a close its time to reflect on the crazy year that's been 2010. Its been a roller coaster ride thats for sure and the share fact that I am now writing this from a plush house in Honiara is testimony to the fact that I have come a long way from making the decision early in 2010 that I needed leave Sydney. The failure of relationships, a job that was constricted by overly cumbersome processes and the fact that I had simply grown tired of the Sydney lifestyle meant 2010 was going to be a year of change. I never predicted that this decision would eventually see me residing in the Solomon Islands and even now sitting here writing this I am still trying to get my head around the fact am actually here. Very few people make the choice to spend this long (2 years) in such a remote location as I live and even fewer find a suitable opportunity to do so. So I count myself very lucky just to be here and to have already experienced so many great experiences (i.e Arnovon Island trip) in such a beautiful place as the Solomon Islands.

Heading to Honiara is a bizarre way to see out 2010 after three months in Choiseul, its a culture shock coming here with its busy town centre, large market and and masses of people (compared to little old Taro). The accommodation where I am currently staying is probably what's most difficult to get my head around. A friend and myself are looking after two houses, both are quite large and surround by high barbed wire fences and having security guards who are on patrol 24/7. Its hard to know how much real safety threat lies beyond the wire and how much is an exagerated perception of potential  risk. I also wonder how this sort of living impacts of type of ex-pat experience that is had in urban Honiara compared to living in the provinces and I feel pretty happy that my assignment has lead me to the provinces, away from the sheltered and often privledged life lead by many ex-pats in Honiara.

I must say though that the calibre of people that I have met in the last few days of being here is exceptional. I have met quite a number of people who have had very colourful life experiences. People that work for the world bank, people that have lived and worked in over 10 countries, people managing millions of dollars in aid budgets from European countries. Each conversation reveals more fascinating stories. I think its quite clear now that the decision to come here to the Solomon Islands was one the single smartest decisions that I have made in a long, long time.