Post
by jack » Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:00 am
New Year and all that - Paul - that offer in the Falklands - do you ever regret not taking it?
I only ask as one of the best bits of advice I ever got was around never wanting to look back later on in life and wonder "if only..."... however...
Out of uni, with a fresh degree in EE and a deep interest in travel(*), I applied to the BAS (British Antarctic Survey) for a land-based role that would have hopefully meant having a winter or two in Antarctica. Basically, I needed a job and thought that BAS were a really interesting possibility...
I was accepted, but not for the role I was after - I was offered a radio/electronics officer role on the supply ship (RRS John Biscoe or Bransfield - can't remember which). To my regret now, I turned the offer down, probably because I didn't think through the possibilities more. Maybe I was a bit petulant at not getting the land job. Don't know.
I sometimes wonder where life would had led me had I taken that fork in the road... not that I've any complaints, but might have been a bit more exciting... (**)
(*) Due to my father's job (an academic lawyer), as a small child we lived in several countries so got used to upping sticks and moving at short notice.
RRS = Royal Research Ship - I always somehow loved those initials - they're so neat!
(**) But would probably have not met my lovely wife, had our kids, etc. etc.