Sierra Leone. My post-college, London-based private equity employers asked me to assist a portfolio CEO with various aspects of managing a gold exploration company into which they had invested GBP6 million. I had spent a summer internship working for these same shareholders on an iron ore project in the Republic of the Congo—a summer during which I cultivated an appreciation for the opportunity to travel to and experience life in a country most people where I’m from see only on the National Geographic channel. I remembered the thrill I felt in Congo and felt excitement while I strapped on my work boots, packed my bags and headed for the airport.The flight to Freetown was an appetizer to life in Africa: the plane hit strong turbulence—it swerved radically right, it felt like we were in a free fall, regained control, then fell again—this time to the left: in this fashion the plane fell right, stabilized, fell left—two, three times—the lady next to me, dressed head to toe in local garb, screaming.I observed that, as compared to people from Western countries, Sierra Leoneans were much more expressive vocally and emotionally. We have a repression in the West that doesn’t exist in Sierra Leone—to them, the concept of insecurity is foreign; they don’t feel the need to hide their feelings around others the way we bottle our thoughts and feelings inside, hiding from others that an unpleasant experience. Our cage of sophistication doesn’t imprison the living experience of the Sierra Leonian.The Freetown airport is separated from the city by water—when you land, to get to town you hope for good weather because you’re taking a boat. The bad weather scenario becomes dangerous quickly because a storm’s waves and lightning are much more powerful than the flimsy boat you take to get to shore and the risk of capsize is substantial.Off the boat I was greeted by a few guys in Toyota Land Cruisers and we made our way to the compound. Exploration and mining companies are typically set up such that the companies are run out of a central compound in the capital city and the operations are managed on-site, the location of which is governed by where mineral deposits are located.Freetown is a city built in a tropical environment—it’s hot and humid. Visually, the city is a mix of buildings and huts, the huts look like little square brick structures with a wavy one-pieced tin roof that serves either as a living quarter or as a shop. Some of the roads are paved, some dirt and by far the favorite local way to travel is by moped.The compound was completely walled off to the outside and protected by armed guards. The inside consisted of a kitchen, rooms for sleeping and an office.So began my first full-time employment experience out of university.