That is the question I have received frequently over the past few weeks. Along with the questions: "Have you been there before?", and "Do you know anyone there?". The answer to both of which is "no". I'm headed to Botswana to join KPMG's advisory team. Having worked with KPMG Australia for the last few years, I'll appreciate the somewhat familiar environment. What will not be familiar is the location, people and culture. Why Botswana? It started off with the following thought process: - Day One post-Christmas break: Argh, why do I have to work? - Day Two post-Christmas break: Ok, I can handle this, I just need to add some more excitement to this work thing.
Botswana, so the guidebook tells me, is the gem of Africa. It may not be the most bustling or exciting place to live (the comparison with South Africa appears common, and stark), but it sounds like it has a LOT going for it. The sheer space, friendly and easy-going people and access to some of the greatest wild areas on the continent.
And so it is that I'm off to live and work in Gaborone for the next couple of years. Of course, the main reason to head to Botswana is to experience Africa. The wildlife, the landscapes, the people, the culture. All of these attributes have left me in awe for many years and I'm extremely excited to have an opportunity to be based on the continent and explore the many different countries, towns and parks whenever free time arises.
I never expected to develop a blog for my adventure - frankly, I find them self-indulgent although they can be useful. You will see very few to no poached eggs, coffee art or kale leaves here. However I feel there is interest from friends and family to check out what I am up to, and get a glimpse of some of the cool things and place I come across. And above all, I remain totally unwilling to use Instagram (I still don't get all those #hashtags).
I fly out in 9 hours. The first destination is Kenya for 10 days, spread between Nairobi and the Maasai Mara. More on that to come soon...
Mossy