My friend said to me, “you didn’t go on a trip, you went on an adventure!” He is right and Amanda and I had talked about our trip for over two years and I’m so glad we were able to make it happen. It wasn’t easy with work obligations, but as always, we managed and we still had an epic trip. As I explained to the nice people from Ohio at the pool, Amanda is my adventurous friend who loves to explore and try new things. Our first trip to South Africa was epic and exhaustive as we saw so much. Thank you again for the amazing memories and for being such a good photographer, and friend.
As for South Africa, you are replete with adventure and animals. I really enjoyed learning about the culture, food, history, and wildlife. Also, the experience of driving on the left hand side, understanding the self-employed parking attendant system, $3 Ubers, and smooth rooibos lattes will be missed.
What I’m excited about is that South Africa seems to have a lot more opportunity. As the Ohio folks were saying and doing as they were trying to establish a university exchange program with their school’s law and justice program. You could see the socioeconomic differences and the glass ceiling exposed in many places. It was also common for servers and clerks to often address Amanda only and there were points that were awkward as you can tell there is still a certain psyche to overcome here.
But I look forward to coming back again as the country continues to evolve and grow. I’m reminded that jobs fill your pockets, but travel fills your soul. And with the amazing and eye-opening experiences, I feel more open and look forward to returning again to South Africa and the continent!
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