Its time to start thinking about heading back to Africa as soon as I finish my Masters Degree in International Relations at BU this December. I get to spend the fall semester writing my thesis and defend it in December before graduating in Jan 2013. It looks like i will be heading to Chad for a one-year assignment living in N'djamena shortly after graduation. I spent about 10 days traveling in Chad in 2011, driving up to Lake Chad and visiting several small villages around the lake so i am somewhat familiar with the country. Unfortunately, there isn't much to do in Chad given the security situation and the lack of infrastructure. Last time i was there expats werent allowed to run outside and the traffic and weather werent that friendly for long distance running.
One bonus is that most of the expat housing features pools inside the walled compounds, so i could have my own private pool if i wanted to maintain it. Satellite TV is also available so if i bring a TV this time (i didnt bring one to Senegal) I can watch TV. The internet was weak and sporadic last time i was there so I probably wont be able to video-skype with friends and family from Chad as I did extensively from Senegal. As my house will be furnished I wont need to ship much, and since we are landlocked in a desert country I wont need the surfboards and golf clubs I brought to Senegal. I do get to ship 1250 lbs of food since its scarce in N'djamena. So I'll have my clothes, tv, food, and pool treatment chemicals for a year in Chad. Yay.
Another bright spot is that i get to attend quarterly conferences in Europe so I may get to snowboard in the Alps and travel to green places that have lakes and lots of water. I can also buy some goats or miniature gazelles for pets (maybe some chickens too) for my Chadian compound.
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