Change of Plan - Part Two, although it is completely unrelated to change of plan Part One

Tashi Delek
Mike & Carol Kefford
Sat 20 Sep 2014 05:31

Big changes lie ahead --  I am going to go back to work full time for Nuffield Hospitals as Chief Nurse. 

 

Picture the scene in July as we picked up news of the vacancy in a particularly perfect corner of Paradise on a coral atoll.  “No”, I said gazing at the white beach and palm trees.  “Hang on a minute”  Mike said, “Don’t turn down a job you haven’t actually been offered and at least find out more about it.”  So I did, and it is a huge and exciting opportunity.

 

Then things all happened very quickly because I was at home a few weeks later seeing Mum so could go through the informal, – formal – psychometric testing – interview process.  Then there was a long wait while other candidates were interviewed, decisions decided and announcements announced.

 

Mike has been absolutely fantastic and often quicker to spot the opportunities for both of us in this than I was.  (At this point Mike insists I say that he is very proud and it is a huge compliment to me!) 

 

We will still keep the boat moving on as planned but we will do it differently.  We were going to be in UK from November to April anyway, Mike will then go back to Tashi Delek in Australia with a great friend who is keen to do the Australia through Indonesia to Singapore leg.  Two others have already signed up to do significant chunks as well so we are delighted that he will be in the company of friends and can share the watches and sailing. I will use my holiday periods to join them and hopefully be able to do a couple of the good bits, including our arrival in Singapore.

 

We will then leave the boat in Singapore and Mike will come back to UK.  Will is keen to help so we know she will be in good hands.  We will spend the next couple of years using her for holidays rather than to live on. 

 

I will start on 01 December for a months’ induction and then go live in the New Year so  we have a  lot to do before then.  We aim to get the boat out of the water in Australia towards the end of October, have a week seeing friends in Aus, fly to Singapore for a week with Will and family and then get back to UK around 14th Nov.  Then all systems go to get settled enough to start.  We will probably rent a flat for six months in Chester centre or maybe Mums village of Tattenhall where we intend to end up once the Oxford house is sold.

 

Really thrilled, chuffed and excited but also somewhat apprehensive.  I am very lucky though that I know people and Nuffield well enough to lessen the steepness of the learning curve by a couple of degrees.  Nuffield is a fantastic place to be right now so the timing is perfect.