New horizons: thoughts on the 2020s and how I spent the 2010s

The 2020s are but a hairsbreadth away. New horizons are fast approaching.

As the clock is ticking down, I reflect upon the dying embers of this decade. What dreams were realized and what opportunities were lost...

This decade was met with many personal achievements, two Engineering Degrees, travelled the world, worked on wonderous Space projects, fell in love, and even got a Cat.

All of that, whilst also contending with ISIS as I became a PMC (Private Military Contractor) and spent several years in the Middle East, bringing and supporting education and STEM to Iraq, Syria and Turkey. The only cure to ignorance is knowledge however to do so required a stringent hand.

It is said that "If you wanna make enemies, try to change something." Of which I can attest. Whilst I was doing my thing in the Middle East, I made many enemies. Not just the Jihadi type but the P.C, hate-filled vacuous hard left SJW. Those type of "well to do" morons who cannot contemplate life outside of twitter, let alone the harsh realities of life outside of the West.

When I spoke out about ISIS, I was branded as an Islamaphobe. Despite my partner being a Muslim.
When I spoke out about the danger of mass migration of migrants from the M.E to the E.U, I was branded a 'racist'. Despite teachers in Iraq expressing their fear of losing the few good students to the E.U and how this robbed their communities of Doctors & Engineers.

This 'barrage' of ignorance cost me friends, clients, and work in the UK. Of which, the money would have funded projects that would have helped thousands of Syrian refugees... Yet I continued despite the damage it did.

Despite all of my experiences, I lost people who I loved. It's the curse of getting older, the older you get the more of your loved ones you leave behind.

In the dying months of this year, I was diagnosed with a long term illness. Surgery may help, it may not. But such is life. We win some, we lose some, but we gotta keep moving on. No matter how hard life hits us.

The 2020s will bring us many new opportunities, new technologies, cures, and friendships. I hope for all of us it will bring us happiness, wealth, and some bloody good memories.

To all of you, I wish you all the best!

Bonus video of when France 24 caught me training in Poland.

Picture of my PMC training, at ESA in Poland.