ONE YEAR ON THE ROAD

CELEBRATING MY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY – MARRIED TO THE ROAD

DAMN. ONE YEAR! I FEEL LIKE SO LITTLE HAS CHANGED, BUT WHEN I LOOK BACK THROUGH THE REARVIEW MIRROR, THAT IS NOT SO ACCURATE. A LOT OF GROWTH, A LOT OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS, A LOT OF HELLOS AND GOODBYES. AND STILL, A LOT MORE TO LEARN. HERE ARE SOME OF THE LESSONS I’VE LEARNT OVER THE LAST YEAR ON THE ROAD.

 

1. YOU CAN’T RUN AWAY FROM YOUR PROBLEMS

YOU’D THINK THAT TRAVELLING 10 000 KM AWAY FROM HOME WOULD GIVE YOU A CLEAN SLATE. BUT ALAS MY FRIENDS, JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE FAR AWAY DOESN’T MEAN THAT THAT SLATE ISN’T STILL FULL OF SHIT. WHEN I ARRIVED FROM MY LAST TRIP IN SEPTEMBER 2015, LIFE DECIDED TO TAKE A HUGE OLE SHIT ON ME, WHICH WENT FROM BAD TO WORSE IN A MATTER OF MONTHS. MY PARENTS WERE GOING TO SPLIT DUE TO AN AFFAIR, AND NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT TORE OUR FAMILY APART. I JUST REMEMBERED WANTING TO DO EVERYTHING TOGETHER BECAUSE IT WOULD BE THE LAST TIME. IT WAS MESSY, IT WAS PAINFUL. AFTER YEARS OF CONQUERED-DEPRESSION, IT RESURFACED, AND ANXIETY SKY-ROCKETED THROUGH THE ROOF. I HAD ALREADY PLANNED TO LEAVE AFTER GRADUATING, BUT NOW I NEEDED TO. YES, DISTANCE DOES HELP, BUT IT DOES NOT CHANGE WHAT HAPPENED NOR THE FACT THAT I STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT. EVERY TIME THE THOUGHT OF IT RESURFACED, I WOULD GET ANGRY AND WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO CONTROL MY FEELINGS BECAUSE I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO. I IGNORED THE PROBLEM INSTEAD OF FACING IT. AND KNOW THAT I STILL HAVE TO SOMEDAY.

 

SHOT BY LUKE OFUNGI

 

2. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS NOR THE HAPPINESS THAT CAN BE FOUND IN BEING ALONE

THIS IS SOMETHING I ACTUALLY LEARNT DURING MY FIRST TRIP ABROAD BUT HAS PROVEN ALL THE MORE TRUE DURING THIS LAST YEAR. AS A SOLO, ESPECIALLY FEMALE, TRAVELER, I EXPERIENCE A LOT OF SHIT THAT PEOPLE IN GROUPS OR COUPLES WOULD OTHERWISE NOT GO THROUGH. YOU HAVE NO ONE TO RELY ON AND NO ONE TO RELY ON YOU. YOU HAVE TO CONSTANTLY BE ALERT, MAKE ALL THE DECISIONS, LOOK AFTER YOUR BAGS (NOT TO MENTION YOURSELF), HOLD YOUR OWN DRINK AND BE YOUR OWN WING-WOMAN. IT CAN BE HECTIC, STRESSFUL, OVERWHELMING, BUT THE STRUGGLE MAKES IT ALL THE MORE REWARDING.

 

FRIENDS MADE ON THE JOURNEY TO THE TOP OF MOUNT KENYA

 

I LOVE TRAVELLING SOLO BECAUSE IT PUSHES ME WAY OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE. THROUGH MY EXPERIENCES, PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WILLING TO HELP, GIVE ME A RIDE OR SIMPLY HAVE A CHAT. I HAVE HAD PEOPLE TAKE ME IN AFTER MEETING THEM ONCE OR TWICE, AND IT HAS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE DURING MY TRIP (SHOUT OUT TO LIZ, SARAH AND EUNICE). I’LL MAKE SURE TO PAY IT FORWARD.

 

THE CALM AFTER THE SUMMIT

 

3. DON’T FORGET TO GET YOUR LICENSE (RENEWED)

MAN, HAS THIS ONE EVER BITTEN ME IN THE ASS. I DO HAVE MY LICENSE, BUT FAILED TO REALIZE THAT BECAUSE I HAD YET TO OBTAIN MY FULL LICENSE, I HAD TO RENEW IT IN PERSON AT HOME BY MY BIRTHDAY, WHICH WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN (F U SAAQ). SO UPON NEARLY BOOKING MY RENTAL FOR SOUTH AFRICA, I FOUND OUT THAT MY LICENSE WAS EXPIRED – THUS SABOTAGING MY SOLO ROAD TRIP I HAD PUT SO MUCH TIME INTO PLANNING (I.E. 3 DAYS). IT IS A TOTAL BITCH TRYING TO RENEW IT ABROAD. SO IF YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR LICENSE UPDATED OR DONE AT ALL, DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND GET ‘ER DONE.

 

GARDEN ROUTE, SOUTH AFRICA ROAD TRIP. I SAT IN THE BACK SEAT.

 

4. HOW TO LOVE MYSELF NATURALLY

AH, LOVE YOURSELF. THE MILLENNIAL MANTRA OF 2016. AS CHEESY AS IT IS, SELF-LOVE IS SO IMPORTANT FOR THE SOUL. I HAVE STRUGGLED WITH THIS FOR YEARS, BUT TRAVELLING HAS ALWAYS HELPED ME OUT WITH THAT. IT’S KIND OF LIKE A FORM OF MEDITATION. ALL THOSE LONG BUS RIDES, HIKING TRIPS AND WALKS TO THE BAR ARE WAYS OF TALKING TO YOURSELF, REFLECTING ON EXPERIENCES, PLANNING YOUR NEXT MOVE AND JUST FIGURING YOUR SHIT OUT. I’M LEARNING HOW TO ACCEPT MYSELF WHOLLY, UNCONDITIONALLY AND UNAPOLOGETICALLY AS I AM. AFTER I GOT BACK TO ZANZIBAR, MY BOYFRIEND AND I LIVED WITHOUT A MIRROR (NOT PURPOSEFULLY) FOR FOUR MONTHS. THE OLD ME WOULD HAVE DEEMED THIS UNCONCEIVABLE. I WAS ALWAYS PICKING OUT MY FLAWS, FINDING RANDOM HAIRS IN MY FACE (YOU DON’T HAVE THOSE?), POINTING OUT PLACES I COULD LOSE WEIGHT (EVERYWHERE?!), AND WAS TOO AFRAID TO WEAR MY HAIR NATURALLY (THERE I SAID IT). WHO KNEW THAT LIVING WITHOUT A MIRROR WOULD THROW ALL THAT NEGATIVE SHIT AWAY.

 

YES, I’M VERY AWARE THAT I’M WEARING THE SAME SHIRT AS IN THE LAST LESSON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH (SHOT BY ANGELO PIRES)

 

WHEN WE TRAVEL, WE ARE OUR BEST SELVES. WE’RE FREE, WE’RE HAPPY, WE’RE UNRESERVED. I’VE GROWN TO FEEL COMFORTABLE IN AND ACCEPTING OF THE SKIN I’M IN. I’M WORKING ON MYSELF, FOR MYSELF, BY MYSELF.

 

5. AFRICA IS FUCKING AWESOME

AFRICA IS THE SHIT. WHAT IS WITH THE IMAGES OF AFRICA THAT THE MEDIA CONSTANTLY THROW IN OUR FACES? THIS NARRATIVE OF AFRICA BEING UNSAFE, UNKEPT, UNWORTHY, WILD AND SAVAGE-LIKE IS SO PAINFULLY FABRICATED AND PASSÉ IT IS NAUSEATING. YES, THERE ARE AREAS THAT CAN BE UNSAFE, BUT THERE ARE AREAS LIKE THIS ALL OVER THE WORLD. THE STATES, THE LAND OF THE FREE, IS A VERY FINE EXAMPLE. WE TEND TO FORGET THAT AFRICA IS A CONTINENT MADE UP OF 54 COUNTRIES BECAUSE IT IS CONSTANTLY BEING SUMMED UP INTO ONE SINGULAR NATIONAL PROBLEM.

MY LAST YEAR IN AFRICA HAS PRODUCED SOME OF THE MOST PHENOMENAL EXPERIENCES. I HAVE MET THE MOST RADIANT, STRONG, INSPIRING AND NOT TO MENTION EDUCATED PEOPLE BOTH FROM AND IN AFRICA DOING THE MOST INCREDIBLE THINGS.

 

LUKE OFUNGI – UGANDA’S NEXT PRESIDENT
MAKING FRIENDS AT FORT. PATIKO, UGANDA

 

I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT THE THOUGHT OF NOT BEING READY FOR THIS STELLAR CONTINENT HAD EVEN CROSSED MY MIND. FROM BEACHES TO MOUNTAINS, WILDLIFE TO VEGETATION, PEOPLE TO TRADITION, AFRICA HAS IT ALL. AT LEAST FOR NOW, IT IS STILL RELATIVELY UNDISCOVERED BY TOURISM, SO YOU’VE GOT A PERFECT PIECE OF PARADISE WAITING FOR YOU. YOU JUST NEED TO BUY YOUR TICKET.

 

DO YOU LIKE WATERFALLS? AFRICA’S GOT THOSE (SHOT AT ARUU FALLS IN UGANDA) 
LIKE FANCY POOLS? AFRICA’S GOT THOSE TOO (SHOT IN JINJA, UGANDA)
GETAWAYS BY THE NILE RIVER? AFRICA’S GOT THOSE TOO! (SHOT BESIDE PREVIOUS PHOTO IN JINJA, UGANDA)
WATER SPORTS? HOW ABOUT ONE OF THE WORLD’S FINEST KITE SURFING DESTINATIONS? (SHOT IN ZANZIBAR, TANZANIA)
MUSIC AND TRADITION? SAY NO MORE (SHOT IN BULUNGULA, SOUTH AFRICA)
WILDLIFE? PLEASE. (SHOT IN MAASAI MARA, KENYA)
RETREATS BY THE INDIAN OCEAN WITH HOT PORTUGUESE MEN. WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR?

 

HERE’S TO A YEAR OF TRAVEL, PROBLEMS, HAPPINESS, LICENSE RENEWALS, SELF-LOVE AND PURE AFRICAN AWESOMENESS, AND MANY MORE TO COME!

HAVE SOME LESSONS YOU’VE LEARNT ON THE ROAD? SHARE BELOW!

 

 

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25 Comments on "ONE YEAR ON THE ROAD"

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Angelo
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Wait… you said Portuguese “men”? Silly of me to think I was the only Iberian horse in your life. Well, I guess I have to cut my wrists now. ?
Bon voyage. You cunt.
Peace ?
?

Kelly
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What an amazing story and I love your honesty and the things you learned. I too used travel escape the demons within but just ended up bringing then with me. Thanks for a great post.

Indochina
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Change your web fonts, I can not read all

Jodi-Ann
Guest

So in love with your pics! I hope I get the courage to do this one day. Thanks for the tips.

Harmony, Momma To Go
Guest

wow what an incredible post! I love your photos and your insights on Africa. Def a good tip about having your licesne renewed. Sorry that happened but doesnt look like it stopped you too much!

Zel
Guest

You are one inspiring woman. Thanks for sharing. I have not tried solo traveling outside my country. One day, maybe I will! Thanks for sharing. Good read!

BrianTheAfricanNomad
Guest

Am totally amazed by your blog your one year anniversary has been a journey that has tremendously changed you…. am inspired by you and as I do my all African tour I look up to you for inspiration i’d be humbled to collaborate with you . Your photos are beautiful and the way you told it all was amazing Africa is the place to be thanks hun let’s get in touch more great travels for you ??? cheers to your aniversary ?

Yeu Doi
Guest

Congrats! As a traveler myself, I understand the love, learning and empowerment that comes with this journey.

Sapnas
Guest

Interesting post. Really liked the pics.

Isha Chopra
Guest

Such a motivating piece to read. Thanks for this!

Kunal Priyadarshi
Guest

Such a lovely blog post celebrating your road trip anniversary. Beautiful pictures. You had the courage to follow your hearts and that is amazing.

jin
Guest

omg I loved this post, as I too, left for a year to travel the world. It’s all kinds of invigorating and inspiring. I’m sorry that you had to experience what you did before you left, but sometimes it takes a really bad experience to really discover our true self. You are strong and resilient! Keep doing you!

Ashley Nguyen
Guest

Thank you for being so transparent in your writing. Love your style and these images. Can’t wait to hopefully connect on the next trip!

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