South Africa: Colour in a World of Grey

I'm thinking about South Africa. Last Friday was the 9 year anniversary of when I first set foot in the country to spend 7 months in Port Shepstone. 9 years...
I remember the feeling as the plane touched down after a  l o n g, emotional journey. I was 18 and had never been away from home for more than a few weeks. All I knew about South Africa was what I'd seen on the news - crime, unrest, hostility. I lived so much of my life full of fear of the worst, to the extent that, to this day, I'm amazed I got on that plane. But I did.
I clearly remember the fear dissolving as I looked out the plane window and I can't logically  explain why ...God... but instantly, abundantly, overwhelmingly, all I could think was, "I LOVE IT!"
After my first stint there, I went back another 3 times, each at different stages of my life and different stages in the life of Port Shepstone. Each visit brought a flood of emotions  at periods in my life when I was fighting to feel. South Africa and the people I loved there were my easy breath of air when I was being choked by apathy.
                         joy 
     doubt                                                               sadness 
                                      confidence    
                                                             heartache 
                      hope                                                                              
frustration                                    wonder 
                                love
                                                                        relief                                                grief                                    happiness                
                       compassion 
                                                       purpose


I love South Africa: the country, the food, the people. Northern Ireland will always be my home. New Zealand is the place I choose to live.


                                   South Africa is my splash of colour

Day 1

So here I am...Wednesday numero uno. Dum da dum dum doodley dum da di dum dum. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. I've been looking forward to this so much, making so many plans, that I just don't really know where to start. Do I read, do I write, do I sew, do I bake a cake, do I make some cards, do I start my scrapbook???
Ok, deep breath. I think my problem is that I want to achieve everything right now. I enjoy the process, but I'm excited about the result, so I want to write a book TODAY and make my 600 photos look pretty TODAY and learn to sew complicated clothes to wear TODAY!
But surely if I've learned anything through my life, it's that it's the process, the journey, that brings the challenge, the growth, the enrichment. The destination will be amazing, but till then, one foot in front of the other, I'll revel in every step.