Oh, the places you’ll go!
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…”
— Dr. Seuss
There is something reassuringly unique about laughing alone. In a way, it’s the securest I have ever felt: I’m unassailable. Come what may, I have me, myself and I for company, encouragement and compassion. This is probably always true, however it has never been more so than in my experiences of being alone when I have been traveling this past year. These inner conversations have led to hilarious and sometimes alarming moments!
From the day I first left NYC until now, once again curled up on my couch, I have been constantly struck by human beings’ ability to adapt. Less than 24 hours after I arrived in Sri Lanka, I had discarded my cutlery in favour of mankind’s original utensils: our hands. In Kampala, I effortlessly donned a child’s costume helmet as my motorcycle taxi zoomed through check point after check point. I casually cracked my back every time I climbed down a horse and cart on the pot-holed roads of Bulgaria.
My adventures have taken me into a world of backwaters, remote villages and friendly smiles. My first stop was Sri Lanka. The capital city Colombo hugs both the Indian Ocean and the renowned maze of waterways weaving in and out of rice paddies, jungles and coconut groves. The pace of life mirrored the oars lazily dipping through water as tourists and locals utilised the main source of transport: canoes. Every day I wound my way through lush river beds dotted with white, indigo and yellow flowers. Somehow, despite the aggressive monkeys, daily fear of malaria and rabies and a heat that threatened to melt my brain, I found myself falling in love with the place. Without exception, every person I met welcomed life with an open heart and jolly smile, despite their daily struggles.
However, the place that truly slipped under my skin and grabbed my heart is Africa. My experiences there are best shared over a glass of pinotage and conversations that linger and meander into the night.