A Personal Letter

In The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, TE Lawrence wrote:

“Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.”

I am planning on driving the length of Africa, starting in London and making my way to Zimbabwe. This has been a dream of mine since I was a child and now I have the means and ability to achieve my goal.

What I expect!!

I see this trip not only as a challenge, but an awesome experience to be shared with people who appreciate Africa’s natural wonders and magnificent landscapes, from desert, to tropical rainforest, valleys to mountain highlands. The whole trip will be a challenge.

I do not think there are any words that could describe the enormity of a trip like this … anything would be an understatement of the hardships, and frustrations that are to be expected throughout! However, if I was expecting only turmoil and bad weather, I would not be planning to ‘suffer’ for three months out of my life - I do hope that there will be as many good times to look back on and tell stories for a long time to come. I see this as an incredibly exciting adventure - something some people only dream about, and something that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

I hope to gather a better knowledge of the African continent, and mix with the local people gaining a better understanding of their differing cultures and ways of life. Ultimately, of course, I hope to give something back to the school that gave so much to me.

John Laing