Fifteen Months of Travelling
Things I learned about myself:
- I don’t send postcards.
- I send hearts on WhatsApp.
- Dancing is my drug, my energy, my first love always.
- My friends and family are part of who I am.
- I am independent and strong.
- I have principles; that’s okay. I live by them but sometimes I break them (that’s okay too).
- I am both intimidated and infatuated by hippies.
- I may have some hippie tendencies myself.
- I am curious. For just about everything.
- I love people. They are kind, warm, wonderful creatures. (Unfortunately some of them make a mess of the world.)
Things I lost:
- My debit card.
- My photo camera, on the last day of the 15 months.
- Lots of unimportant things: towels, chargers, money.
Things I missed out on:
- Hugging my sister when she told me she was pregnant.
- Birthdays.
- Big and small moments in my friends’ lives.
- Three Meijer babies being born.
- The death of my 20 year-old cat Dummeltje.
- Easter, Sinterklaas, Christmas, and then Easter again. That’s two eitje-tik competitions I could have won.
Things I gained:
- A million moments that made me stronger, wiser and happier.
- Trust.
- Photos.
- Memories that are more beautiful and plentiful than the photos.
- Knowing the joy of living life without a plan. (Random adventures!)
- New family in Seattle, Fort Collins and Karatara. I love you.
- Gratitude. For my life and everybody in it.
What surprised me:
- The depth and intensity of my love for South Africa.
- How the universe will always find a way to make things work out just perfectly.
- How breath-taking nature is all around the world.
- How deep the marks of history run, right into my life.
- That I dared to travel around the world for so long.
- That it took thirteen months before I started missing home.
- How you can feel such strong connections to people you have just met.
- How easy it is to say yes. (Just say yes!)
I must not forget:
- The beautiful people I met along the way.
- The mountains I have climbed.
- To just say yes.
- To trust the universe (and myself).
- To regard going home as an adventure in its own right.
3 comments
Emilie says:
mei 3, 2015
Beautiful lists.. Loved following you on your adventures!!
Anne says:
mei 3, 2015
Yes!!! Nice read and thank you for sharing.
Xxx miss no more planning #2
Eva says:
mei 5, 2015
Nothing else than: Beautiful Jo!