How to end a journey

We have been home for a week now, normal life fast sweeping and drawing us into its folds. Our days fill up with things to do, shops to go to, people to see and greet, and naturally we miss the simplicity of being on the road.

'Tell us the best story of your trip' or 'did you ever feel unsafe?' or 'what was it like not having any responsibilities?' The last one is easy. It feels wonderful. We were less stressed. Had less obligations. We went where we wanted and we stayed as long as we liked. It was a fantastic feeling and we could see each other relishing that freedom.

But what happens now? We save up for the next trip, haha. But we also missed being useful. Living the life in Africa is great, but having a job and a home is wonderful as well. Don't quote me on this in a few weeks, but we are excited to get back to work, to ask how can we make a difference, to try and leave this place better than it was before. Having no responsiblities isn't sustainable, unless you want to end up being homeless.

There is a saying that reads 'If you hold a cat by its tail you learn things you cannot learn any other way.' Similarly, the blessings and lessons of travelling can only be received through the doing thereof.

But here are a few things we learned

~we learned that Africa is enormous

~we learned how to greet people

~we learned how to bargain

~we learned that you need much less chemicals on your face and hair to be beautiful and healthy

~we learned how to drive slowly

~we learned to value municipal services, especially the pipe infrastructure that brings fresh water to your door and the one that takes sewage away. We saw more than one village with government signs reading 'this village is now an open defecation free zone'. It makes one thankful.

~we learned that trash is really hard to get rid of when there is no garbage truck or landfill. So it is good to have less of it.

~we learned that development comes at a price

~we learned that heat, rain, lightning, insects and cold are forces to be reckoned with. Nature doesn't come lightly packaged.

~we learned how to identify birds and photograph the stars

~we learned how to dramatically lower the threshold for taking offence

~we learned that there are good people everywhere

~we learned to give each other space

~we learned to trust that God's ways aren't our ways. We don't know why some people have car accidents and others not, why some travelers get malaria and others don't and why people suffer terribly all over the world. We have to trust that dying isn't the worst thing that can happen to a person, and that staying alive isn't all that matters.

~mostly we learned that loving the world is more important than trying to understand it.

Thank you for sharing in our journey. We would love to share some more stories, photos (and paintings) from our trip with you in due time. But for now, happy festive season and kwaheri!*













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