I consider myself privileged to have lived and worked in so many diverse (and sometimes challenging) environments, and through these experiences I know I learned as much about myself as I did about the people of my host countries. In more recent years I have been living in rural West of Scotland, my adopted home, which I adore and which constantly reminds me what a wonderful world we inhabit. After an early stint as a lecturer at a local college, I slipped into what I now call My Wilderness Years (I believe Sir Winston Churchill also experienced these, so I’m in good company). Although I became and remain a keen organic gardener and active member of the local community, I understand now that these were largely avoidance activities — things I did to avoid having to face up to myself and the fact that I appeared to have (temporarily) lost my direction in life.
