The strange life of consultants

I've been thinking a lot recently about the strangeness of consulting. Mainly the coming and going people on a oddly regular basis.

You're placed on a project, for many of us in a country that we did not originate from, there are other people there from all over the world too. Some people travel every weekend others of us stay for a more extended period of time. The vast majority of us have a pretty nomadic nature anyways and get itchy feet if we stay anywhere for too long. Many of us don't come with kids and family in the same place.

With these similar traits and a common purpose we all bond very quickly and I'd like to think become pretty good friends in the process. But due to the unpredictability and volatility of consulting people often move on with little or no notice.

Those of us around at the weekend try and get out and about in the outdoors somewhere. These trips are always great fun but you also know you can't plan too far ahead as you never quite know where you'll be in a week/month/year from now. It's really sad to say goodbye to people you have spent such concentrated time with, but yet you are excited for them and whatever the next opportunity brings.

Finding a balance here is hard I find, and something that's not that easy to get used to. I guess knowing that those friends who are meant to stick around in your life one way or another, will still be there. It's also a pretty cool feeling to know that in most cities you visit you will know someone.

From my travels I have, what I would consider to be, great friends all over the world. Often, though you need a best friend that you know will be there to just pop in a have a cup of tea with. Not something you can really guarantee when moving around.

Where can you really consider as 'home'? Where you were born, where your family are, where you grew up, where you put your suitcase down?

I have fun being in Calgary, I have some wicked friends here, although I know that they or I will be moving on anytime soon. I have family and childhood friends in Devon, a boyfriend in Chicago, uni friends in Belfast, skiing friends in New Zealand, work friends in London, and other great friends scattered all over the world, but at the moment I work in Canada. It's easy to feel a little bit lost!

Ultimately I have managed to maintain some dear friends over the years despite often being oceans apart. I am able to travel all over the world, experiencing the world as I go and meeting the friends I still have today. The get the best from all the worlds you have to get your stability from knowing that your friends are always contactable, there'll always be someone who you can have a cup of tea with, you are seeing the world and that you can't always be where your heart is.. you have to share it around.

Nihahi Ridge Hike - June 6th 2009

3 fellow ThoughtWorkers and I headed off for our first hike of the 'summer'. I say 'summer' because it's June and this weekend the temperatures dropped right off and the snow returned. Unbelievably!

I was super excited about the whole thing. Had raided the North Face store in Chicago and MEC in Calgary, for the right gear so I didn't look too much like an amateur. Although the whole time I was buying things to ensure I didn't get too hot ironically.

We drove to Kannanaskis Country which is about an hour from Calgary in the first range of the Rockie Mountains. The closer we drove the more and more snow seemed to appear. By the time we got to Elbow Falls we felt like we had been transported back into mid winter. Or perhaps Narnia.

So this morning I loaded up with sandwhiches, filled up my new Camelback and dug out the thermals. Elbow falls was our first stop. I had also been there in November. But today, in June, there was much much more snow!

We then drove up the river a bit further to the Little Elbow campsite. We headed up the river and then up a steep (to me on my first ever hike) trail towards Nihahi Ridge. We went up 600ft i think in rainy snow and then pulled over for lunch. JJ even had brought Tea, my good English friend.

While we were having lunch the clouds lifted and the sun even came out! We could finally see where we had climbed up to. And there were some amazing views. We really are very lucky to have that sort of landscape on our doorstop.

Another thing that struck me about this trip was how well set up these places are. There are toilets and everything!

The hike down was much easier, although super slippy with the mud and snow. The hike back looked like an entirely different place in the sun.

Then it snowed again! In the space of 10 mins we truely had all seasons. Rain, snow, hail and sun!

It was a really run day out. Great company and great scenery. Lovely to get out of the city for a day, and soak up the fresh air!