So it’s mid -January and I realise that I haven’t made any New Year resolutions. Not to indicate that I have ever kept any….usually my resolutions involve things that sound great in practice “lose weight” or “exercise more”, however by the end of the first week (and that’s a generous time frame) I’ve realised that January in the UK calls for staying inside when it’s cold, grey and raining and for the comforts of carbohydrates (and besides I’ve finally admitted to myself that the pleasures of eating pasta and HOT bread and butter will never be topped by an avocado).

So, the point is, I’m not going to make any resolutions that I stand no chance of keeping, instead here are some things …aspirations if you like that I would like to fulfil in 2018 that would make the year extra awesome. Things like “Travel to New Places”, ok now I’m feeling smug as I’ve already got 2 trips booked, one to Mozambique and one to Crete, but still it’s pretty cool to visit somewhere that you’ve never been before. Ok, next is to “Try New Things”, whether it be sailing on a Dhow in the Indian Ocean or improving my Setswana vocabulary (according to one of my junior chefs, Setswana is very easy to lean as pillow talk….) Then to “visit more places in Botswana” is definitely on the list, I can’t possibly be in the country for 2 years and only see the bright lights of Maun. Then the last one I can think of at the minute is “to go on a Mokoro”. I am rather embarrassed to say that in my first year of being in the Okavango, I haven’t yet been on a Mokoro. I have done it on holiday when I was in Botswana 5 years ago, but to have them 20 minutes from camp and still not have done it is pretty lame. So that’s it…..watch out 2018!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

16.01.18