On April 5th of this year, almost exactly six weeks after my return from Patagonia, I found myself at the airport, again preparing for long flights and the unknown. I had never touched a toe on the soils of Africa so my mind was reeling with wonder. In my experience, the very best way to experience travel is to drop any and all expectations. That includes all the b.s. that you hear about and see in the media. The unfortunate thing about media is that it's in the business of selling news and fear is a best-seller, something I always try to keep in mind especially during travel. That's not to say that one should not take heed of warnings and precautions, but I believe an open mind is the necessary antidote to the atrocities we witness on CNN.
Africa: Many probably think of it as being a land of destitute; full of starving children with boated bellies and parents dying of AIDS. Others think of it as being a wilderness, full of hungry predators that will gladly eat you on your way out to have a look at the sunset. Some probably picture violence, no doubt stemming from images of seven year olds carrying M-16s as tribal wars flared in Rwanda and other sections of Equatorial Africa. Some picture Jane Goodall, others see Nelson Mandela. My point is, you could let any or all of these perceptions change the way you experience a place. Africa is a place of destitute, but it is also a land of change and promise. As I sat down and made my little nest in 12A, I shut my eyes and began to open the doors and windows of my mind. And as our ship took flight, I finally opened my heart to whatever lay ahead in the great continent known as the Motherland, the place where it's said that all life on Earth began.