Nigel woke me about an hour before dawn; ‘We’re 40 minutes out from Tanger’.

After 17 years and three days, we had left Europe. We had arrived early on a cold November morning in 2006 to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle, embarking on a five-year stint, but it was not to be. That introduction to Europe was followed by 12 years in the UK, Europe at the beginning, but not at the end.

But this morning, there were more urgent tasks to deal with – Nige had navigated Novara through a wall of tankers in the Traffic Separation Scheme in the straits of Gibraltar and we were now in Moroccan waters. It was a beautiful morning; Tarifa, Spain and Europe behind us, Tanger, Morocco and Africa ahead of us.

We reflected on what had changed in those intervening years. Mostly, we had changed. Our young girl was now a vibrant and engaging woman; my hair had gone from mostly dark, to mostly white, I’d gained leadership and coaching experience; Nigel had assisted millions to live better lives through reducing carbon emissions. We’d had a full and emotionally rich 17 years in Europe.

Who I am has changed as well; I now look at the world through eyes of an international citizen. Being tied to one place is no longer as important to me as it was nearly two decades ago. It is the people we have met, that have made Europe feel like our home for the last 17 years and that reminds me of the Maori proverb.

He aha te mea nui o tea ao?  What is the most important thing in the world?

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. It is people, it is people, it is people.

We will be back, Inshallah.