Sometimes I wish I could write I made this stuff up, but, with exception of the occasional artistic flourishes I'm wont to, I haven't really.

Two months and extensive negotiations later and I've put my PhD, and hence South Africa, on hold for this moment, and it may well turn out to be permanently. What has become strikingly clear is that the PhD I aspired to finish in 2006 is dead in the water, and its execution is unattainable for me in every practical angle.

I've slipped out of South Africa and flown back to the Netherlands over the course of this week, and am caught up with reorganising my life. I might go back into geology, I might not - the past two years have come close to burning out my desire for the histories of rocks. Unfortunately, I also know that I'm moderately good at studying them.

In the meantime, I've been rendered without employment. Not the best of times to leave academia and start job searching. But it is life. What can one do. I know that a PhD is a prerequisite for moderating ET, so at least I don't need to worry about that one.

On the upside, having written ten something diary posts, I'm pretty much convinced I want to go the distance with writing up some more and follow people's suggestions to start whoring the package at publication houses. Trouble is, I've no idea where to start, but all in good time. First I'd like to see my family. And alert my friends that I've come home.

Nomad, out.