"When you begin to think outside the box, you often become some other "leaders" lousy follower. That usually costs something" (Andy Rayner)

"Our guardian angels are bored." (Mike Foster)

It's where I feel I'm at these days. “In the second half of life, it is good just to be a part of the general dance. We do not have to stand out, make defining moves, or be better than anyone else on the dance floor. Life is more participatory than assertive, and there is no need for strong or further self-definition” (Falling Upward. Richard Rohr.120).

Friday, September 20, 2013

When It's Time To Go Home!

"Usually when I come home from a trip I feel like my life has changed, and everyone else’s has stayed the same, this time it’s the opposite. I struggled in Africa, too. I fought with malaria, I was broke almost the entire time, and I’ve never been so lonely in my life. After Cape Town, home was the only place that I wanted to be.
Though inspiring and beautiful, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t putting on a brave face for much of South Africa. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t where I wanted to be. I wanted to be home. I wanted to see family, drink with friends, and maybe even just spend a couple days doing absolutely nothing travel related.

In Durban, I sat in my hostel room almost the entire time like an enslaved worker waiting for his holiday. I forced myself to visit the waterfront, aquarium, and the town center. And well beautiful, my heart had long left Africa.

Maybe there is a time I’ll return. Maybe someday I’ll buy another scooter and drive up the east side. Maybe I’ll live there someday. Maybe I’ll never travel to another country in my life. The only thing I know, is right now it’s time to go home."
 (Brendan van Son is a travel writer and photographer from Alberta, Canada.
http://www.brendansadventures.com/struggling-with-the-end-of-africa/

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