"IN LIGHT OF AFRICA"
We arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, bedraggled and tired on a cool January night. As we waited to transfer to Lusaka, Zambia, we were approached by a man who was returning home from a spiritual quest in India. He too looked exhausted, but was buzzing from the experiences he had there. "Are you going to Zambia? It's so beautiful!" he said in his own charismatic way. "Africa is such an amazing place. You'll never experience anything like it. It's like India. There's so much that meets the eye and so much you miss if you don't pay attention. Fully experience it . . . drink deeply from the well, because you may never be able to drink from the well again!"
So began our warm welcome to this stunning continent.
I had lived in India for a number of years, and Africa held its own allure. I had imagined its charms and dreamed of its gifts so many times, but I had never realized my thirst for its refreshing beauty. So arriving on African soil and breathing in the fresh air was like sipping on a deliciously sweet and soul-quenching drink. I had five weeks to drink deeply what I could, and was drenched in the process at times.
It was monsoon in Zambia and everything reminded me so much of India, yet held its own mystical charms. I was to experience first-hand what I already knew, what this new friend had failed to mention. This well is so deep and so full, and I certainly wasn't going to be able to drink it all in during the next five weeks.
I thought I was somewhat prepared, emptying myself of as much as I could before I left, but it soon became evident to me that I didn't bring a big enough bucket. I'd taken my small bucket to the well to draw as much as I could, but it was even too heavy to carry home. Too full. What spilled out seemed like a waste at the time, but it wasn't wasted; it simply watered the ground beneath my feet. I'd have to make another trip. I'd have to take my bucket to the well again and dip it in for another drink.
Since coming home and thinking about the people I've met, the new friends I've made, the places I've been and the things I've seen, I have come to realize this one thing: you never really travel through Africa; Africa travels through you.
Next time I return, I'll take a bigger bucket. And it will be fully empty.
Take a walk through this site. It's as small as I am in comparison to the Motherland, but I hope you get a glimpse of what I mean, and perhaps become inspired to take your own trip. It will soothe your soul and rip your heart out. Be prepared. Africa is not for the faint of spirit.