Simon at Sepilok

Very early on I wondered if I'd be able to work at an Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (well, doesn't everyone??!!).

Why? Well after visiting Borneo for an adventure a few years back I was really impressed with the setup at Sepilok and promised myself if i ever got the chance i'd try to go back and work there for a while.

http://www.orangutan-appeal.org.uk/sepliok.php

I soon found out that only one company places volunteers there. http://www.travellersworldwide.com/11-malaysia/11-malaysia-orangutans.htm
I rang them up, it all sounded great until they said

"...but we don't have any places available until April 2007".

Aaaaaaagggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh. I'm totally gutted. I can't wait that long. I have no idea where i'll be or what i'll be doing by then.

No, I need to do something now.

Mixed feelings after being told my position at Amex was being eliminated.

By the time i'd navigated the rapids of my initial emotions (shock, numbness, anger, inebriation, hangover) i calmed down enough to think a bit more rationally:

• On one hand i had a good job, a good income and the thought of losing all that was a real kick in the charlies.
• On the other hand i was bored at work, not feeling challenged, not very happy with the way I had let my role drift away from what i enjoyed doing, hated being stuck indoors all day and increasingly felt that i needed to make a bigger contribution to the world around me (oh-oh, mid life crisis approaching???!!!)

So what to do? I was determined to explore my options and not rush into another IT job. With a redundancy payment I knew i could take a break from paid work and do something more vocational.

I had 10 weeks notice to work it all out...