“My Journey Into No-Man’s Land, an Experience of a Lifetime”

Never in my wildest dreams have I ever thought of climbing the mountain let alone taking a walk in the mountains. I mean for a girl that was born Ekasi – seriously? For us as Black kids we used to define a walking as just a hobby of White people who absolutely have nothing to do, no stresses and definitely worries  of who is going to put  food on the table whilst the other one is taking a walk.

Surprisingly, when I got the opportunity of becoming part Gondwana Alive, I was expected to take walks into the mountain as part of my job. Developing global network of trails showcasing the Earth’s biodiversity is one of GA’s goals. My job is to help promote the trails, so for me to experience the mountain myself would be the cherry on the top as far as they were concerned. Oh! this was just something else for me , the thought of my make-up running down my face with perspiration.

Being in no-man’s land where there aren’t any shops with designer brands for a girl to window shop just to keep my spirit alive and inspired… To make it worse no restaurants, not even food stalls, Mmmmhhh! As I thought more about restaurants, another thought crossed my mind where am I going to relieve myself here?. All my thoughts ended up nowhere the only thing that was left for me was to go there and see, what the mountain has for me.

D-day came we were all set for the adventure everybody looking forward except for me. With doubts in my mind, thinking back and fourth whether I was going to make it  or not to the top . As we walked up, when about to reach half way to the top, I stopped literally sat on the rock, trying to catch my breath I heard some cheering shouting behind me “well done Zee” from my boss, Tracey and Ivan, my mentor. I felt motivated; ready to finish the race. We continued walking like a group of ants collecting food for winter up until we reached the top. Reaching the top of the mountain I count as one of my achievements in my aspiring to become successful in life.

On our way back as we walked down surrounded by mountains I got the strange feeling the kind of maternal feeling that a baby gets from the mother the warmth, the security, the assurance that so long as you need me I will always be here even spiritually. I felt a sense of belonging, it was as if that was what my spirit was yearning for all these years. It was one of the strangest moments that I’ve had – being in those mountains which calmed by spirit, gathered my thoughts and summoned my inner being into one  peaceful spirit . READY FOR THE NEXT ADVENTURE!