My African adventure has come to an end. Those 34 days passed so quickly. Can’t believe that I’m flying back home, leaving my love, my new family and friends behind. Africa saw me off with a beautiful hot sunny day, bright sky, smiles of friends and my tears.
Why is it always so hard to say goodbye, say goodbye to people, places…
Everything was great, I’ve learned so much. I fell in love with South Africans. They remind me of us, Russians. They are open, kind, always come to help. I’ve seen so many times how cars would stop to help another car that got stuck or fell into a ditch.
Every single time we stopped as well.
Even South Africa reminded me of Russia, nature, clouds, colors. It’s not just my words, my dad was the first one who told me that after I showed him photos. There is a lot of beauty in the country, but there are problems as well, just like everywhere else. But like I cited before, Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder.
We just crossed the equator. I’m back to the Northern Hemisphere again, the flying map says we are 34 miles away from Kikwit. I’m thinking about African sky, so beautiful, so bright. Remember how we went to a Planetarium and I saw the Southern Sky, castellations, planets. There is something very romantic, mysterious, primal, pure.
Now I’m 6 hours away from Paris, the Western world, but South Africa stole my heart. Beautiful country, land, continent.
Africa teaches us what is really important in life. All the possessions that the Western world idealizes and chases seem so primitive now, so shallow, unnecessary. Africa teaches us the appreciation and gratitude for what we have. I remember that little boy on the streets of Mozambique. He had a toy car made of wire and cans that replaced wheels… He was happy with that little toy…
There were ups and downs during this trip, my little African life, but I have changed and I like the new me. I know that I’m work in process but I’m enjoying the change. I remembered how to be free again, I awoke that old me, me with lots of friends, lots of smiles and laughter, the spontaneous and adventurous me that I thought was long gone. I feel alive again after feeling encaged for the last few years. Africa gave me my freedom back, my openness to the world, my real interest in people. It showed me how insignificant possessions and how important experiences are. Thank you dear Africa for that, I’ll do everything to stay on this path and not fall back into the rat race again.
Europe is still asleep in the darkness of the cold winter night and my love is wide awake in the middle of African summer with a morning sun shining upon him…