So after three consecutive flights: (9;16;2). I'm finally home. And it's my favorite season!
When I wasn't watching an endless selection of Disney movies (thank you Emirates!) or playing with restless flight babies, I spent my time looking back on my seven month journey recollecting the beautiful places, crazy adventures, and wonderful, wonderful people! My realization: I have the fondest of memories and quite a few life lessons not worth losing sight of.
Here are just a few things I learned from my African adventure:
#1) PATIENCE is a 'virtue':
Okay, so this is one I was specifically made aware of during my time in Tanzania. Arusha specifically, where they're notoriously known to do everything incredibly SLOW. I learned to accept that when someone said they'd be there in ten minutes they actually meant an hour and that a meeting that was supposed to take place at 10am, never actually started till after eleven! Of course when it came to work, I was perfectly fine with this amplified Michigan time and the ability to be a half hour late to every affair! However, when it comes to important things like catching a flight or, I don't know, delivering a baby, sometimes it's necessary for things to take place when they're supposed to! (post script: I did not have any babies nor deliver any babies! -- this was merely an observance)
This leisurely lifestyle was presented to me in Kenya and Namibia, as well, although Cape Town fortunately was a bit more hasty! Even though at times this 'slowness' was frustrating, I learned to accept that things would happen when they happened and there was no point in stressing over it. As a matter of fact, it became something that I learned to love about these cultures.. as life in 'The States' is characteristically fast paced and punctual, it's rather gratifying to have time to breathe and enjoy the little things. Really, there's no point in rushing around and blindly going through your daily responsibilities and not taking the time to stop and talk to people and enjoy the time in your day! I love that people would take the time (actually go out of their way!) to make conversation with me, and that everything wasn't rush, rush, rush, get to where you need to be, screw everyone else, eat a rapidly made burrito, the end.
Sometimes things wont happen when you expect them to and sometimes they will be incredibly and unnecessarily slow! But they will eventually happen, and there are far worse things than having to wait (even if it's for six hours in a 15-seater van crammed with 30 people in 100 degree weather!) ---I'm not bitter at all ;)
But really guys, patience is definitely one of the virtuous things of life.
#2) One can always find beauty in even the ugliest of things. Or at least there's no harm in trying..
Although Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been to and I was surrounded by some of the most beautiful people, a number of the circumstances and events happening around me were not exactly eligible to be considered 'beautiful' and as a matter of fact were far from it!
Despite the harsh reality that there are terrible, cruel people and awful circumstances and conditions that no one should ever have to experience.. and that sometimes it's hard to find hope and see light in all the darkness.. hope is always there and it's important to try and see the bright side of things, even when it truly is difficult.
Life can truly be beautiful and people unfortunately have the potential for evil and ugliness, but they also have the potential to do wonderful and amazing things, and can really exemplify true beauty! And there are beautiful things and places in the world, as well. So it's worth trying to see them, even when it's really foggy!
Table Mountain in the fog. Still beautiful. Can't deny it.
#3) I've learned that it's not always what you're doing but who you're doing it with that makes the difference. (gotta previous blog post dedicated to this one.)
In a city where there's a million of wonderful things to do at any given time and an unending to-do list of adventures.. it's hard not to feel guilty when you find yourself lying around doing essentially 'nothing'. HOWEVER,, I've learned that when you're with the right people, nothing can really become everything. And because I lived these past months with some of the most wonderful humans on the planet, I have zero regrets for the lazy days a plenty, and in fact am very proud of them and would not wish to have spent my time any other way.
It's the people you're with that truly make experiences the most rewarding, and it's important to make the most of your time with the people you love.. no matter what it is your doing.
This leads me to my last one. One that I guess I've always really known and lived by, but that has been further ingrained into my daily lifestyle during my time here in CT. This, of course, would be:
#4) FUN.
I think (well actually, I know) that when it comes down to it, after certainly {being kind to one another} the most important thing [EVER] is to have fun! Because really in the end that's all that really matters. If you're not having a good time, then you should... be having a great time! What good is life if you're not enjoying it?!
Let me quote the words of my favoritest poem:
"If I had my life to live over I'd like to make more mistakes next time. I'd relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans...
If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds, I would pick more daisies." -Nadine Stair
My time in Cape Town was full of mistakes, mountains, ice cream, silliness, and dancing. And it was the best time ever!!!!!
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I've of course learned a great deal more, and could go on and on about issues of development, Western supremacy, etc. but am feeling at a loss for words..
Thus, to conclude: Cape Town is the most beautiful place in the world, life is beautiful, people are beautiful, so dance, eat lots of snow cones, and hug the ones you love!
To see me jump from the highest bungee bridge in the world, click the link below!