Robben Island....

I came to spend some time with you today. I wanted to come sooner, but you know how it is - I always postpone the important things, as if the delay would somehow mark its significance.

Your Island is tranquil, like the sacred silence which follows after a great old tree buckles. You are not here any more. I close my eyes and for a moment and I can picture you in the courtyard by Block B, just for a fleeting moment, smiling wryly at our ignorance. Cell no. 5 feels staged and the hallway only holds the echos of tourist chatter. 

Out of the night that covers me,

    Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

    For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

    I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

    My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

    Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

    Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

    How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

    I am the captain of my soul.

Invictus by Ernest Henley

Then, just before Cape Town harbor, a spray throwing a rainbow of salted water high into the air! A tail slowly emerging from the water, freezing for a moment in mid-air before disappearing beneath the surface. I tried to tell the Americans next to me - look, look, did you see that!? 

But just like that, you were gone.

Hamba kahle Tata...

Travels of an Independent woman!

JC started reading this book on a cold winters evening. It is an old trick of his: He reads for us in this baritone, David Attenborough-voice...and I become putty...well....putty-like ;)

The first quote in the book is by Zora Hurston : 

"There are years that ask questions and years that answer." 

I knew I was going to love it! Having traveled and explored extensively as an (independent) woman, I could relate so many of the tales Alice Steinbach shared as she made her way from Paris to London and Oxford, on to Italy, following the must-do North to South trail. Whatever she experiences from her surroundings pale in comparison to her journey within. I am a true believer that we have to shift our perspective, our routine and comfort zones, to really get to know ourselves and to grow. My learnings have been to always have a plan, but to manage your expectations on how it unfolds; to fully live in the moment, rather than rushing of to the next destination;  and to be flexible to take any turn without being too hung up on the schedule... A perfect analogy for life.

Alice captures this when she writes...."I had my map and I started walking. When I approached the corner, I wondered: should I turn right? Or left? Then I realised that it didn't really matter. Either way, something new - perhaps a tiny adventure - awaited my arrival. I hurried down the street. Whatever was around the corner, I didn't want to miss a minute of it."

And this is the delight of travel. It reveals opportunities, it inspires and unexpectedly delights. But most of all it opens the windows to your soul:

We go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and we pass by ourselves without wondering....

St Augustine

And just when I think I have done enough travel to last me a few life times, I find myself becoming restless again, almost like that Ionging for a soul-mate. A plaintive call which cannot be ignored. 

In the meantime, as I plan the next trip, this book will do nicely....

Walk this way!

And as they walk this way,
I have to say -
What gorgeous examples of the males species!

Picnic on the mountain....

As winter wrapped its icy breath around the mountain, JC and I decided to explore. Picnic basket and blanket packed, we headed out to Champmans Peak. And as if pre-ordained, the sun came out as the clouds wrapped themselves coquettishly around the 12 Apostles. 

I love this place :))

I hear you....

Today made my heart swell. We spend time at Carel du Toit to make ourselves useful. Wonderful work being done by amazing people. It is inspirational to see how people are transformed by a soft touch and a gentle heart.

What I learned had nothing to do with the sense of hearing. I learned that you listen with your heart.
I hear you :)

What am I missing?!

An elderly Gentleman shared a moment with me, and showing all the signs of an unfulfilled, unhappy life, he made me think... 

What will I regret one day? What do I need to be experiencing today, in order not to have regrets tomorrow?

I sat quietly this morning and I tried to list everything that I am really missing out on. Those things that are within my reach, but because I think I have another day to do it in, it never becomes a priority.

Would I like to study for another profession or learn a new language, or even how to play an instrument really well? Would I have like to have a child? What about living in the Seychelles or working in another country? Or even just creating a home for a stray cat and a rescue dog? For that matter, would I like to be married or live with my partner? Would I regret not having my parents live closer to me? Or not having traveled more?

All of these thoughts washed through me, but nothing really stuck...for now :)
I think there are thing that seem desirable for a specific season or a reason. But then that moment passes and you realise why you did not act on it. I will try to remember this, because I know that when you get to a certain age, your perspective changes. We do not look forward anymore, we start backcasting (as opposed to forecasting), wanting to change things that are long past! I want to have the dream now and do baby steps to the best life I can possibly envision.

For me, just knowing that I have a choice is enough to make me feel like I have no regrets. I do not know about the future, but for now I am contented. 

But I'll check again tomorrow!