During my first year of University, there was a girl in my extended circle of friends whose name was Ellie. Ellie wasn’t particularly outstanding in any way, but she had one odd trait… well, two really, one maybe the result of the other. The first was that Ellie mainly (only!) ate white or yellow foods: Toast, peanut butter, bananas, crackers, cheese. And maybe as a result of that (or maybe because it was her natural complexion), Ellie was – well, pale as a ghost.
Timewarp.
I’m on the plane back to New York after a week of work in Tanzania and Uganda. I love many things about my work – the fact that every now and then it takes me to beautiful locations is one of them. But what I love even more is the colour it brings to my life. The people I work with – like my friends nowadays – are from all over the world. They are African and Indian, Kiwi and Japanese, they are Spanish and Filipino, Finnish and Iranian; they speak Portuguese and Swahili, celebrate Christmas, Eid, Rosha Shana and Diwali.
What a beautiful and colourful world – full of wonderful, sometimes weird and wonderful traditions and believes. What a lovely job that allows me to be a part of all of that.
What a blessing.
And what a blessing in disguise.
Because wherever you are, there are at least a dozen people who are close to your heart, but nowhere near you.
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