Liz Responds To Her Tribe...

WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE

First let me thank Donnette, whose wonderful idea this was, and Audrey who learned about blogs in five minutes and took on the unenviable task of sending emails to everyone and getting them to write these wonderful words about me. I appreciate all the kind words from everyone and felt like I attended my own funeral and listened to the beautiful eulogies without dying (lol).

I know for sure that I am loved by my family and friends and for that I am eternally grateful. There is a saying in Jamaica, “show me your company and I will tell you who you are.” I am delighted to be in the company of all of you and it shows what good judgment I have (I am kidding).

I know for sure that I am a phenomenal salesperson.

I was able to convince 13 people to come along with me on this adventure. Sheryll, who had to make many accommodations in order to come but who I can depend on to be always there with me as she has done throughout my life through thick and thin; Charmaine, who did not like long plane rides and repeatedly wondered aloud to me over the last year “why couldn’t you have daydreamed about somewhere closer?”; Jean, my first Jamaican friend at work when I moved to Maryland and who was as committed to going on this trip as I was; and Jackie, who had never traveled outside of Jamaica and the United States and whose first trip was going to be a 17 hour flight to Johannesburg; Karen, who lives in Jamaica and had just come back from a trip to Asia and was game for many more hours of flying; Donnette, who had already traveled to South Africa in the 90’s but who was committed to coming, even when she lost her job (to which she was swiftly rehired) and said she would use the time to figure out what to do with the rest of her life; Kamau, who absolutely hated flying but did so without complaining and who was the only other male on the trip; Steve, who put up with my wanderlust over the years and was willing to take a leap of faith one more time and travel half way around the world for the musings of a thirteen year old; Monica who traveled all the way from Los Angeles and who attracted every male from Johannesburg to Botswana and took over 5,000 pictures; Norma, Marva and Yvonne from England who took time out of the their busy schedules with work and school and made the trip. Thanks for taking a leap of faith and I thank God that a good time was had by all.

This was the first time that I had embarked on a trip without doing extensive research about the place and in hindsight I am glad I did not. The wonderful discoveries I made in each place were not tainted by any preconceived notions and I was able to enjoy my experiences like a newborn. South Africa, a vast landscape with a rich, troubled history of oppression and then rebirth. Now I know for sure that we are bound to nature, that watching the animals in their natural habitat and seeing firsthand the law of the jungle, that not only that every animal has their place, but knows their place. Even if you are not religious, I felt spiritual when looking at Victoria Falls, gazing at it in awe and experiencing the power and wonder of it all. To go on safari and watch the lioness with her kill, the elephant, and observing the other animals lying in wait for their turn but knowing that they have to observe the law of the jungle and wait patiently until the lion is satiated, before moving in for their piece of the pie, or in this case, piece of the elephant.

What part of the trip did I enjoy most? Was it Johannesburg, as seen in the caption, a sprawling, beautiful metropolis with beautiful homes, a vibrant downtown and even more beautiful suburbs, where we stayed at the fabulous Rosebank Hotel? Was it the wonderful hospitality of Trevor and Rufus from the Rosebank Hotel? Was it Cape Town with Table Mountain and the trip to Robben Island where we saw where Mandela was imprisoned? Was it the vibrant waterfront in Cape Town where we spent every evening shopping and having great meals? Was it wine country where I watched the wine tasting and wished I drank because she made it look so good? Was it the wonder of Victoria Falls? Was it the safari? Truthfully, I cannot choose because every moment was grand in its own right and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to experience it all.

I know for sure that if you get in the habit of being happy, most of the time you will be happy. We all have problems we cannot control and sometimes life deals us some horrible blows but we can control how we look at it.

Get in the habit of being excited. It is big world with so much happening and there is no excuse to be bored. Be present and open to the moment that is unfolding before you. Ultimately life is made of small moments so don’t miss them by being lost in the past or anticipating the future. Don’t be absent from your own life and it is ultimately the collection of these memories that shape the fiber of our being.

Travel………What a wonderful world it is out there. Go to someplace you have never been. Experience meeting new people, the taste of food you have never had and walk through old buildings and experience the sense of history.

“Good friends are better than pocket money” as evidenced by my wonderful tribe. “Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget.” G. Randolf

Forgive early, kiss slowly, love wholeheartedly and laugh loudly because life may not be the party we all hoped for.

Warmest regards from Liz

3/15/09