Jane

Me, Jane, well Im a person who came from small beginnings, who ended up at the age of 40 years of age, being involved in an outstanding company having an amazing career. I don’t believe that there are many people who can honestly say that they enjoy doing what they do for a living – for most people a job is something that is a requirement or necessity, but I can honestly say that the past 10 years of my career have been challenging and great fun. I work with some amazing people and I also have the most amazing clients…but a part of me has not been fulfilled for a long time, and while I thought that the answer lay in numerous other avenues, Ive discovered that what is missing in my life can only be filled by me, for me! And that’s how I came to realize the journey that I have now embarked on.

I have always loved travelling. Living in over 60 properties in my life (no, Im not on the run!) and attending over 20 schools (yes, I can read and write!) makes you somewhat of a gypsy. After reaching my 40^th birthday I realized that I have but one life! Too many people that I have met look back on their own life and have regrets for the things that they didn’t do. For whatever reason, “life” gets in the way….or is it fear? Either way, I am grabbing this opportunity with both hands, to experience a little more of what lies beyond the “box” that I have been living in to date. While the comfort of my life has serviced me to this point, I now see myself as a dry sponge – eager to absorb of much of life and its experiences as possible.

I regard myself as exceptionally blessed, fortunate, lucky – whatever you wish to call it to be where I am at this moment. I have been given a nine month sabbatical from work to embark on a journey of a lifetime. Where the road takes me I know not, where Ill end up I know not, but what I do know is that I intend to absorb as much from this life as possible….to have no regrets…and to experience the beauty that we all too often miss in the general hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Doug 

REALITY CAN DESTROY THE DREAM,

WHY SHOULDN’T THE DREAM DESTROY THE REALITY - GEORGE MOORE

11^TH July 2009 - durban

DIZZY IS AS DIZZY DOES – EVERY JOURNEY BEGINS WITH THE FIRST STEP. BUT SOMETIMES IT IS HARD TO PRECISELY MARK WHERE THAT FIRST STEP IS TAKEN BUT NOT HERE.

DOUGLAS, ONE HALF OF THE ‘DIZZY’ TOUR, KNOWS EXACTLY WHEN THAT STEP WAS TAKEN, WHERE THE JOURNEY BEGAN – NOT IN A DREAM, BUT A LATE NIGHT CALL FROM A FRIEND IN NEED, JANE.

THE JOURNEY FROM CAPE TOWN THROUGH THE LENGTH OF AFRICA, TURKEY, AND THEN OVERLAND TO THE UK BEGAN WHEN THE PHONE RANG AT ALMOST ELEVEN O’CLOCK AT NIGHT.

I WAS PRETTY NEAR FAST ASLEEP.

I GLANCED OVER AND LOOKED AT THE GLOWING CELL PHONE SCREEN TO SEE IF IT HAD PICKED UP THE NAME OF THE CALLER.

THE CALLER’S ID WAS ‘PRIVATE NUMBER’.

WHO WOULD BE CALLING ME AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR OF THE NIGHT!

I WAS UNIMPRESSED AND NOT VERY INTERESTED IN ANSWERING, BUT LIKE ALWAYS MY MIND STARTED PLAYING THOSE GAMES OF HIDE AND SEEK – THE SCREEN LIT UP AGAIN ‘PRIVATE NUMBER’ SHOWED UP AND I ANSWERED.

“CAN I HELP YOU?” I STUTTERED INTO ACTION.

“AH YES, UM,” CAME THE REPLY …. “COULD I SPEAK TO DOUG?

“THIS IS DOUG SPEAKING.”

“WELL I’M WONDERING IF I COULD MEET WITH YOU AT SOME POINT …!”

WHO ON EARTH IS THIS I THOUGHT - PHONING ME SO LATE AT NIGHT TO SET UP A MEET AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE!

OBVIOUSLY SOME SECRET ADMIRER, I THOUGHT.

MY MIND RACED INTO OVERDRIVE AS I SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT THE VOICE WAS ONE I RECOGNIZED! THE WARM VOICE WAS SOMEONE I KNEW, SOMEONE THAT I HAD SPOKEN TO SO MANY TIMES BEFORE.

”IS THIS JANE STONE…! ARE YOU STONED OR JUST DIZZY PHONING ME AT THIS RIDICULOUS HOUR! THE PHONE STAYED QUIET FOR A SECOND OR TWO.

“JANE, WHAT’S HAPPENING?”

” OK, IT’S ME,” SHE SAID, “I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A CALL, NO BIG DEAL.

I COULD CALL YOU IN THE MORNING IF YOU’RE NOT IN THE MOOD TO TALK NOW”.

“NO, NO,” I REPLIED, “YOU’VE GOT ME CURIOUS - WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO CALL ME SO LATE AT NIGHT… MUST BE SIGNIFICANT, HEY!

THERE WAS A SLIGHT PAUSE, AND THEN JANE’S VOICE SWITCHED INTO HIGH SPEED, “YOU KNOW I’VE BEEN PLANNING A TRIP THROUGH AFRICA - WELL I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF YOU WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO JOIN ME.

MY PARTNER, CALLED FROM THE U.K. TEN MINUTES AGO AND HE’S HAD SECOND THOUGHTS - I DON’T KNOW, FAMILY ISSUES, WHATEVER, AND WON’T BE IN A POSITION TO MAKE IT AND I WANT YOU TO COME WITH ME.”

JUST LIKE THAT.

“UM.”

BIG DECISION IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT - I COULD NOT TAKE THIS ALL IN AT ONCE – GIVE UP A YEAR OR MORE OF MY LIFE, BUSINESS, AND CONTACTS. … I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE THIS SHOULD WAIT FOR THE MORNING, BUT THE EXCITEMENT IN HER VOICE PULLED A QUICK RESPONSE “DO YOU NEED AN ANSWER NOW!” – HOPING THAT A DELAYING TACTIC WOULD BUY ME TIME TO SLEEP ON SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AS A COMPLETE AND UNEXPECTED CHANGE IN MY LIFE AND CAREER.

“OK,” SHE SAID, “SURE. GIVE IT A FEW DAYS AND LET ME KNOW. I AM AWARE THAT IT WILL BE A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE DOUG. SLEEP TIGHT AND GIVE ME A CALL WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION.”

I SAID GOODNIGHT AND PLACED THE PHONE ON THE SIDEBOARD – THE ROOM FELL INTO DARKNESS – MY THOUGHTS RACED AROUND MY MIND FOR HOURS – WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY! WHAT A DECISION! HOW? WHEN? WHAT TO DO? UNTIL FINALLY I FELL INTO A DEEP DREAMLESS SLEEP.

THE NEXT MORNING I WOKE KNOWING THAT I WOULD NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT WOULD HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON MY LIFE.

WHY HAD JANE PHONED ME?

SHE KNEW MY STORY!

SHE KNEW MY CAREER!

SHE KNEW OF MY TOTAL FINANCIAL SUCCESS!

HOWEVER, SHE ALSO KNEW THAT I WAS NOT THE HAPPIEST PERSON IN THE WORLD!

BY NOW, YOU KNOW WHAT MY RESPONSE WAS TO THAT LATE NIGHT CALL.

HERE WE ARE, HALFWAY THROUGH JULY, IN THE MIDDLE OF A GLOBAL RECESSION, UNREST EVERYWHERE, JANE AND I ARE OFF TO FIND SOME ANSWERS INSIDE OURSELVES AND MAYBE IN THE BIG, BAD WORLD.

HOWEVER, ONE STEP AT A TIME, FIRST STEP FOCUSED ON THE UGANDAN GORILLA EXPERIENCE AND WHEN WE GET PASSED THAT, THEN LEG BY LEG UP TO TURKEY, THEN WITH SOME LUCK OVER TO THE UK.

SO WELCOME ABOARD - WE ARE GLAD YOU HAVE JOINED US TO SHARE THIS JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME.

“THERE COMES A POINT IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU REALISE

WHO MATTERS,

WHO NEVER DID,

WHO WON’T ANYMORE,

AND WHO ALWAYS WILL,

SO, DON’T WORRY ABOUT PEOPLE FROM THE PAST” – AUTHOR UNKNOWN