As I write this, I'm currently sitting at a café up in Verbier, after a short and sweet hour and a half hike up (after which the interns decided they wanted to hitchhike up the rest of the way), listening to what feels like the longest electric keyboard solo in music history, while trying to think of a topic for an op-ed piece I'm to write. The op-ed piece is to be a writing sample for a few jobs I'm applying for, and is a meagre 500-700 words. The only problem with this, is its for a Berlin based think tank focused on a strategic trans-atlantic foreign policy debate. That is to say, the potential topics of this op-ed piece, are anything relevant to North American and European international relations, i.e., almost every international relations topic. With broad categories like development and aid, wars and conflicts, climate change, to name a few, how to choose a topic? So rather than staring out the window, gazing at the always mystical looking alpine cloud cover that seems to engulf the mountains and enclose you in a foggy globe, I figured I would be productive and try to job the creative writing juices by writing a much needed blog entry.
But where to start for this entry? What to talk about? What to cover? I wrote an entry or two about Thailand, but I think its been a while since I've really talked about my life in general. However, the problem with that, is I don't know where to start. I feel like in the last 5-6 months that I've been here in the Swiss Alps working with Johannah has had such a profound impact on my life. I feel like so much has happened, and so much as changed in this time; from activities, to events, to conversations, to dialectic debates, to work, to quality, to ideas, to perceptions, to worldview, to values, to habits, to simply life in general. I almost feel like the isolated and slower pace of life here, combined with the type of people and work, allows for so much more to happen. Even banal features of life, such as walking the dogs, can be profound, forget about the experiences that are profound within themselves. So where to start?
I mean, in the last 5-6 months as far as education and work alone go, I have written and submitted my Masters Thesis, effectively finished my Masters Degree in International Conflict and Security, worked full time at the Bernstein Environmental Policy Consulting Group being mentored by Johannah working on designing United Nations Environmental Security Training Courses for Foreign Policy Diplomats, supporting the facilitation and creation of Green Diplomacy conferences for the Thai Foreign Ministry in Thailand, coordinating a staff retreat for the United Nations Environment Program, on top of all of the actual policy, researching, editing, and creative design work. Especially after writing that out, I feel that alone is enough to profoundly change a person, forget about everything else. But that's the thing, it didn't stop there..
Other things I can think of, off the top of my head include glacier treks with a Hawaiien mountain guide on a heritage site glacier, many magnificent, breathtaking, almost meditative hikes with various people on various mountains and sites, crazy adventures that ensue on these hikes and living in the mountains, the sheer volume of highly interesting, exciting, successful, worldly people I've met and ultimately hiked with, crazy international small mountain town nights out, and the amazing amount of profound, intellectual, world-altering conversations, discussion and arguments that have ensued everywhere from the dinner table, to the couch, to the café, to on a trail a 2600m.
And to top it all off, I haven't even mentioned negative things, stresses, cosmic lessons, and personal battles I've gone through during this time, such as the most recent one of my uncle/big brother getting killed in a car accident just a week an a half ago. As much as I feel like this list could go on at least as long as the other two, but I prefer to focus on the positive, so I will leave the negative unmentioned. But suffice to say, they are all learning and personal growth opportunities, so they have contributed as much if not more to my personal development I'm sure.
So you see my problem? How do you write something insightful and meaningful, but not dry or tedious, that captures all of the above, but still takes in to account where I am right now and what my inspirations, aspirations, and plans are for the future? This will have to do I suppose... But do you see why I couldn't exactly even attempt to discuss it au fur et à mesure? There was just too much going on and changing too quickly. Even now, it's like trying to capture a symphony in a photograph; you're giving the public a window in, but not letting them hear the music, feel the atmosphere, or be moved by the experience.
But to finish off this masterfully accomplished procrastination, I'll attempt to describe in a short(ish) paragraph what's taken me months to figure out: my future plans. While I still just want to live in Barcelona learning Spanish and drinking Sangria, or live in the Belgian or German Christmas markets sipping vin chaud/gluhwein all day, I've narrowed down some more concrete plans (that sadly involve much less Sangria and gluhwein). After spending a week or so in November in Brussels visiting Vera and Chavdar, and maybe, just maybe getting to go to a day of the Christmas Market, I'm heading back to Saskatchewan until January. That's right. Spending well over a month back in my home town (and at least a week or so in Saskatoon). I believe that will be the longest amount of time I've ever spent there consecutively since I first moved to the city. But considering everything that has happened back there the last few weeks, I feel its important to properly visit and catch up with everyone. Following that, in January, I come back to Europe. Where to? Excellent question. Potentially Berlin for the job I mentioned at the beginning. Failing that, for another internship or job I find.. Doing a few internships, jobs, and/or volunteer opportunities until I find something I love. Hopefully something with travel, that brings me to yet another corner of the globe. Potentially field work. We'll see what the cards hold.
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After the first paragraph the extended electric solos became a tad intolerable and I wrote to the new Uh Huh Her album Nocturnes. I highly recommend checking it out: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/nocturnes/id472327889
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