I last lived in Cape Town in 2006. I was there for my four years of university, and two and a half years of work. Sitting around a dinner table at a conference with some colleagues, a job opening in Joburg was mentioned. I hadn’t been in my current role long enough to be bored. Most roles have a learning curve. A time when you are finding the toilet. A time when you start getting the hang of things. A time when you hit your stride. I was still in the learning phase, but the Joburg role was appealing. I had been doing technical work, and the marketing role meant I would get to speak to human beings. I had finished my professional exams, and my buddy had a few to go. A joke that this would be a (brief) chance to be his boss, turned into (brief) reality. I loved Cape Town. That was not why I left. Life decisions are complicated, and full of trade-offs. 14 years later, I am plotting a return to the mountain. Still on a life-long learning curve. With a different set of trade-offs.
