Alphabet Travel

[Seth]
Well, I’ve done the viva now, and am almost-officially Dr. Seth Lazar. The thesis is bound and submitted back to the examiner, and I just have to wait for the university to ‘grant me leave to supplicate’. Not sure I’m too keen on supplicating but I’m sure it’s just metaphorical. This means that this era is almost at an end, and the Alphabet is just around the corner.

The last couple of weeks have been insane. Lu’s been trying to finish her book, I’ve been teaching, tying up my business, organising a workshop for when I get back, sending out philosophy articles, and together we’ve been trying to plan this trip and pack up our house. Then there’s saying goodbye to everyone, and god hundreds of other things besides. If I were a hamster in a wheel I’d be about ready to fire through the bars out into the garden.  There would be smoke coming from my toes.

Some progress on planning–we’ve worked out a route up to our ‘O’, Oyem in Gabon, we’ve met and chatted with an Oxford Uni student from Angola, who gave us lots of tips, and we’ve managed to get an invite to Nigeria from the very kind father of a friend. We’ve bought our flights back from Egypt too. Tomorrow we have to do the remaining letters and pack up our bags, then on Wednesday everything goes into storage, and we’re off–starting the trip in style by spending the night sleeping in Stansted.

[/Seth]