Some background, I have known Gay since my first trip to Nashville in 1992. It never ceases to amaze me that two girls born so far apart (me in the North East of Scotland, her in Tupelo, Mississippi) could be destined to be such close friends. Close friends who despite not having seen each other since December 2010 and have corresponded about three times in those three years can meet at the airport and settle into with each other's company as if we'd seen each other yesterday. It truly is a blessing to have her in my life.
Gay and I have travelled lots together - each time we meet we spend an evening trying to remember where we went when - Savannah, Rome, Edinburgh, Paris, Aberdeen, Boston, New York..... it's quite a long list and our memories aren't improving with age - next time we must write it down
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| New York 2009 |
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| Grand Central Station |
On each of these trips I am the woman with the plan. This is a moving feast and Gay has become used to the words "I've been thinking.." as we walk around a new city with map in hand. So you can imagine Gay's shock when she met me at Nashville airport and inquired after the plan. "I don't have one" was my reply. I could see her physically reel and the quizzical look on her face. "NO plan, are you feeling ok?"
You see that's a change. No more intense planning. In Sierra Leone planning wasn't something to invest time in as circumstances constantly changed. I see now that I embraced that more than I realised. It's been the same about the future. Now I'm back in London the question I hear most is "What's the plan?" I don't have one. I'm going to take time to investigate all the options. I don't know what's out there so I'm going to sit back and take time to look. No pressure, no timetable.
This is refreshing!
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