I realized how much I miss Durban and South Africa in general. I arrived in Durban last Saturday morning and spent the day chilling and just enjoying my own company. In the evening I met my cousin and her friend and one of my fabulous varsity friends. We enjoyed each others company well into the night and said our goodbyes past midnight. I really needed that.
My Sunday couldn't be more chilled even if I tried. I woke up at about 09:00 and met my friend DeAnne at about 11:30 at uShaka Marine World. DeAnne is American and we met in Korea. We didn't meet often but whenever we did it was usually in a social setting so we always had a blast!!! DeAnne is now working and living in the Middle East.
It was really great seeing her. We took a stroll on the pier and decided that we needed to eat so we headed out to Ocean Basket for some delishhhh seafood!! We spent most of the day together as we only only said our goodbyes around 16:00.
It was a very inspiring day and DeAnne motivated me a lot. I don't think she knows how much though. She and I connected and in fact met on the foundation of our mutual love of travel. She was in Korea seeking something new and exciting and I was in Korea seeking something new and exciting. She made me realize that life is short and you really have to go out and make the most of it. We spoke about our travels and all the places we'd still love to visit. She's in South Africa for about a week and then she will head out to Zambia, Namibia and Botswana. By the time she leaves SA next month, she will have visited over 40 countries!!! I've only been to 6 and that's why I feel there's so much of the world waiting for me to see!!!
I was supposed to meet my friend Reneldon (visiting from Korea) around lunch time but my phone died so DeAnne and I decided to take a walk on the promenade to see if we could spot him. And we did... actually, he spotted me and screamed so loud I'm sure everyone thought something bad had happened but actually I think I was the most terrified! After I realized who was shouting my name I almost cried, I was so excited to see my friend and all the friends that were with him. We had a quick somthin' somethin' before saying our goodbyes and posing for a quick pic.
I have come to the realization that I am not ready to settle down. The thought of buying kitchen appliances and furniture freaks me out and I'd like to put it off until I'm truly ready to find a permanent place to call 'home'. You have to realize that in life everyone takes a different route. If everybody got married at 25 and had kids at 28, the world would be a very boring monotonous place. I was glad that DeAnne agreed with these sentiments.
I have come to the realization that I am not ready to settle down. The thought of buying kitchen appliances and furniture freaks me out and I'd like to put it off until I'm truly ready to find a permanent place to call 'home'. You have to realize that in life everyone takes a different route. If everybody got married at 25 and had kids at 28, the world would be a very boring monotonous place. I was glad that DeAnne agreed with these sentiments.
While enjoying our ice-cream, we talked about possible plans to return to Korea. For me, it is still a definite plan B. Actually, I don't even have a plan A it's just that I have a job at the moment so I have to weigh up whether I want to leave or not. It was really nice to hear DeAnne's ideas and thoughts about life, love and travel.
I told her she was really fortunate to be in South Africa meeting so many of her friends. It really makes travelling so exciting knowing that you're a citizen of the world and no matter where you go there'll always be someone you know. The world really does seem small. Because of Korea, I now I have a ton of friends all over the world with open invitations to visit. It was really nice and interesting hearing about DeAnne's current life in the Middle East. It makes me wanna do Korea all over again like I did 2 years ago - fresh, bright eyed and eager for something different.
Of course, I never really know where I will end up. Life happens. Circumstances change. People grow.
