Rome on a Rand: Backpacking, Growth, and a Trevi Fountain Wish in 2011
Transformed by Travel: Globally Grown – Part 6. The year is 2011. My backpack, affectionately nicknamed “Mzansi” after my home country South Africa, felt heavier than its contents suggested. Not with clothes or fancy gadgets – those were scarce. Its weight came from the sheer audacity of my plan: backpacking through Europe, passing through Rome, […]
Bali, 2013: A Journey to Appreciate the Simple Beauty
Transformed by Travel: Globally Grown – Part 5. Rewind to 2013. My passport got a new stamp, and my soul a new perspective, as I landed in Bali, Indonesia. My home base was the bustling Kuta Beach, a vibrant hub that offered endless entertainment and a front-row seat to some of the most spectacular sunsets […]
Lost in Translation, Found in Friendship: My European Backpacking Adventure through Switzerland
Transformed by Travel: Globally Grown – Part 4. Back in 2011, when I was a much younger, more naive version of myself, I embarked on an adventure that would forever shape who I am today: a solo backpacking trip across Europe, sleeping only in tents. The world was a different place then. Smartphones weren’t ubiquitous, […]
From Buckingham Palace to the Roman Baths: My Solo Easter Pilgrimage of Self-Discovery across Great Britain
Transformed by Travel: Globally Grown – Part 3 Easter 2024. A time of renewal, and for me, a time of profound personal growth. As a South African-born and raised woman, now a proud American citizen, my recent acquisition of a US passport unlocked a world of possibilities, and my first major solo trip was to […]
Aegean Echoes: How Turkey and a Greek Detour Reshaped Me
Transformed by Travel: Globally Grown – Part 2 The salty air of the Aegean still feels fresh in my memory. In July 2023, I embarked on a journey that started out to be a journey to escape my grief from losing my wife. I unexpectedly became a profound lesson in culture, connection, and ultimately, better […]
From Spicy Streets to Sparkling Skylines: Lessons Learned in Thailand & Singapore
Transformed by Travel: Globally Grown – Part 1 From Spicy Streets to Sparkling Skylines: Lessons Learned in Thailand & Singapore (July 2024) The scent of lemongrass and chili hung heavy in the Bangkok air, a stark contrast to the meticulously manicured gardens of Singapore just 2 weeks later. My trip to Thailand and Singapore in […]
My African American Journey – The Final Part
It is early November 2024. Yes, it has been over 4 years since I have scribed our adventures in moving to America. I can probably come up with multiple excuses or reasons for why, and there are many, but essentially, it is inexcusable. I got lost in the doing and lost track of the feeling […]
African – American Journey: Part 4
It is uncanny how approximately every six months I have the desire to sit quietly and pen the experiences had in my new country. Low and behold, it is so since part 3. So here goes with part 4. (at the bottom of this piece, you will find links to the first 3, should you […]
African – American Journey: Part 3
I blink, I blink once more, and I realize it has been approximately 6 months since my last update. Today Brenda Fassie brought me to this place, her African rhythm blaring in my ears, filling my heart with the dusty memories of home. My sound system had not been working in my car for several […]
African – American Journey: Part 2
I have been wanting to write my part 2 for some time now. And every time I begin, I hit a wall. Until now, a song came on, a song that takes me back to a time when I was in high school, in love and terribly naive. A time when you had to run […]