Cheers to Africa

There's always more you want to see and more you want to buy. Though, your time, money, and luggage size is never infinite. There's a time when you have to call it quits and go home. Enjoy what you did, create memories and call it a day. You have to leave something for next time. Be happy for coming and seeing what you saw. Never regret not doing something because if it was so critical, you would have either done it or you'll come back for it! Life is good. Enjoy it. As I've said many of times, do what you want to do. If you wake up more times unhappy than happy, then change your life. Don't wait and let it change you. Be adventuresome, try new things, and being crazy isn't always a bad thing. Until next time Africa, it's been amazing!!

More to Africa

To be posted soon...

Africa

The rich are rich and the poor just keep getting poorer. That's life here in Africa. I definitely see the difference since we're living at the American International School which is gated and has housekeepers, gardeners, people to take out the trash, and people to wipe your ass.  Then, 45 minute walk later, we're standing in the middle of Bauleni, a compound where the city dump is burning across from the town market. 20,000 people live here in shacks and barracks. Most kids don't continue school past 7th grade. And even at the 7th grade level, few still can't read and most aren't proficient in math. AIDS and HIV is very common along with starvation. Though, no one will talk about disease. All the locals say is "so-and-so is sick", "so-and-so died". They never said what someone is sick with and why they died.

Realization

Yep, the right hand is used to eat and the left hand is used for... : /

Note to self: bring toilet paper EVERYWHERE and do not use the bar soap (liquid is ok)

Sisters

To my surprise, Suzie was one of the best travel companions. It defiantly takes a special person to spend every waking moment of 10 weeks together and not have someone dead by the end. Yes, there were times when we wanted to kill each other and even debated splitting up, but through it all, we stood side by side. We could be grown up travelers one moment and have side aching laughter like giddy children the next. Sisters have a remarkable bond that will never break. She gets me better than anyone else. For goodness sakes, we have the same mother and father so we understand each other. We were on the same time schedule, financially equivalent, and showed interest in similar things.

Traveling with her was like re-meeting an old friend. We haven’t spent more than Christmas break together in the last 8 years. I had to replace the shy Suzie who use to make me ask the store attendant for the location of the bathroom with an older, mature, wardrobe-designing, young professional. I saw a lot of her in me and vice versa. I relearned my sister’s character, including strengths and weaknesses which often times mirror my strengths and weaknesses. All of this caused me to learn so much about myself. More surprising than anything, we biologically reacted very similarly to things. We responded to drugs, sicknesses, and exhaustion in the same manner. If I had a headache due to travel exhaustion, most likely Suzie had the same headache.

 

At points in our travels, I never thought I would travel with Suzie again in the future, but now looking back at it, I can only smile with the good memories. I’m going to miss her this next month and am excited for our next adventures!

The Early Bird Gets the Worm

It never fails to get to the airport early and check, double check, and check again your flight details.

 

Suzie and I arrived at the Kathmandu airport with plenty of time to spare. I checked in no problem. Suzie, on the other hand, rushed back to me with a worried look. Since she has two layovers in India she needed a transfer visa which was news to us! In a panic, she booked a flight with a different airline company to bypass one of the stops and pick up her flight at her second destination. We pooled our cash together and had just enough to cover the cost. Wow, did her flight just get expensive! After all the commotion, I was worried we would miss our flights! Thankfully being in an Indian and Hindu influenced airport, there was a line for men and a line for women. As we were the minority, we breezed through customs and security in less than five minutes. Suzie hopped in the boarding line, and I sat waiting for my flight to New Delhi. One step closer to Zambia!

Instinct

Number one rule of traveling: always trust your instinct. No matter where you are or what is going on, if you get a bad feeling, trust it. Especially being a women. Don’t be scared to say no. There is no such thing as a grey area, and if you feel like you’re heading that way, say no. Be straight forward and stern. Though, saying no doesn’t mean you’re being impolite or rude. You can be nice while still keeping to your opinion and standing strong.

There are different limits in all cultures, but you have your own limits and they shouldn’t be crossed, no matter what culture you are in. Yes language barriers and being open-minded can make it difficult to decipher your limits, but always remember, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Are people really that nice or does niceness come with a toll? Of course there are genuinely nice people out there who care about others, but there are defiantly people who take advantage of the system. Signs to look for:

1.       Does the person continue to talk about how good they are? Even after you’ve acknowledge that they are a good person, do they still persist to tell you so?

2.       Do they try to convince you to do something and use numerous tactics as to why to do it, or why to trust them?

3.       They talk down upon other people.

4.       They slyly mention repayment numerous times.

Never feel pressured or rushed to do anything. Take your time, think about the options, and make the decision for yourself. Often times persistent people have a different plan in mind, so don’t become the victim.

Be prepared. Sometime things don’t go the way you planned. Always have a plan B which may change as the circumstances change. Constantly think about what is going on and if anything seems weird or suspicious. The more you can see ahead, the easier the present decisions will be.

Confrontation is key. When in a difficult situation, be as blunt as possible. I have heard numerous stories from friends that when being followed, turning around and confronting the person is often times the safest thing to do.

Suzie and I got the opportunity to talk to a women who has done an extensive amount of traveling, alone and with others. These are words of wisdoms and knowledge from a collection of traveling souls. With this knowledge Suzie and I have stayed safe and responsible throughout our travels. Please take the advice however you wish.