Swansong.

As I make yet another draft of this post, I am in Doha, Qatar. It's 2.30am in Cape Town, I think it's around 00.30am in England and it might be 3.30am here but I'm not entirely sure I know what time zone I'm in! I've left South Africa and I don't currently plan on returning as a volunteer. I know this is probably quite a surprise but let me reassure you, it wasn't a last minute decision. About 2 months ago, I wasn't working at all and I was getting very bored and slightly depressed as there didn't seem to be anything for me to do. I spoke to my manager and mum about it and decided to return to England in time for x-mas. I definitely feel this was the right thing to do and I have no regrets!

I have changed so much over my 2 years in South Africa, all for the better, and I think if I hadn't taken the gap year as well as going back I wouldn't be half the person I am now. The children's home gave me so many skills I can and will use in life - who else can say they worked in an environment where they had to manage 30 Germans as well as caring for 10-15 Afrikaans and Xhosa children?! I have met people who have inspired and taught me to do things with my life that I never would have even considered. I don't want this to become overly mushy because I'm already the crazy person that cries on the plane and I don't really want to be the person sobbing alone in the airport! But I cannot really put into words the gratitude I have for all the people that helped me get here and the amazing people I met along the way. I'm also pretty darned proud of myself for raising something like £10000.

My plan now is to set up drumming circles in England. I've been running one every other week with the younger children at the home which they've loved, I hope to be able to run circles in care homes, schools, homeless shelters and maybe even hospitals and prisons if I'm allowed! As soon as it's online, I'll post a link to the blog/website I make for the drumming and anyone interested can come along to any circles I run!

I want to thank everybody that helped me in anyway and all the hundreds of people I met along the way. This is beginning to get a bit cheesy so I'm going to leave it there. The pictures from my holiday are in the post below! :)

Damson.