Journey's End
It was very nice to come home for Christmas. Everyone looks wonderful – they’ve all been shopping and had the hair done for the festive season. Then there are the lights, decorations and most importantly, presents. Sorry, did I say that? No, it couldn’t have been me. I have come back from Africa a changed woman. No capitalists here! Hell, no!
I’m sorry to say that I am still the same materialist today as I was on April 13th 2005 when we set off on this trip. The first thing I bought at the airport was perfume, possibly the most decadent substance ever created by man.
I had worried that I wouldn’t be able to cope with wasted resources and over indulgence and first world life in general but I have in fact embraced the lot with venom and gusto.
What has been a bit of a shock is the extent to which people are rushed off their feet. The sorry fact is that we have time for no one, not even ourselves. In Africa, when someone enquires after your health, they will also enquire about the entire family. People have time for people, it seems.
Another surprise is how many people have been following our trip. I don’t know how many people have asked about the malaria. It’s wonderful that so many have kept track of us but the timing of our return has been problematic. The articles were not current and many now suppose that because they’ve only just read about the malaria that we came home early.
In fact, we finished the trip ahead of schedule and were lucky enough to be able to find a flight home before Christmas. I hate that people should think that Africa proved too challenging. In fact, Africa was not a problem. Tough in parts, but generally, wonderful. It’s quite damaging for its image if people imagine we aborted our trip.
Now that we are back, we have a few challenges to face. We must wrap up the project - write the last of the articles and organize school visits for the New Year. When that’s done, we face the more difficult challenge of putting our old lives back together again. I would like to go back to college but I loved writing for the Imokilly People and particularly enjoyed taking photographs. I’m not sure what Malc wants to do either. And then there is us. We’ve been in each other’s pockets for the last eight and a half months. We must try to grow our own relationship. Maybe put it back together is more accurate… There’s certainly a lot to do.
Blue? No, not really. I had a great time. I’d do it again in a flash. It was a wonderful trip. The people were fantastic. We saw and did amazing things. It was the trip of a lifetime. But I’m very glad to be home. It’s nice to see family and friends and my piano. I’ve been anxious to get going on the next project – whatever that may be. It’s life that’s really the adventure, not Africa.
PS. Music is wonderful. Keane. The Pixies. Johnnie Cash. It’s all good. My God, how I missed it. A pox on those rats who stole our minidisk players.
- Niamh O Riordan
I’m sorry to say that I am still the same materialist today as I was on April 13th 2005 when we set off on this trip. The first thing I bought at the airport was perfume, possibly the most decadent substance ever created by man.
I had worried that I wouldn’t be able to cope with wasted resources and over indulgence and first world life in general but I have in fact embraced the lot with venom and gusto.
What has been a bit of a shock is the extent to which people are rushed off their feet. The sorry fact is that we have time for no one, not even ourselves. In Africa, when someone enquires after your health, they will also enquire about the entire family. People have time for people, it seems.
Another surprise is how many people have been following our trip. I don’t know how many people have asked about the malaria. It’s wonderful that so many have kept track of us but the timing of our return has been problematic. The articles were not current and many now suppose that because they’ve only just read about the malaria that we came home early.
In fact, we finished the trip ahead of schedule and were lucky enough to be able to find a flight home before Christmas. I hate that people should think that Africa proved too challenging. In fact, Africa was not a problem. Tough in parts, but generally, wonderful. It’s quite damaging for its image if people imagine we aborted our trip.
Now that we are back, we have a few challenges to face. We must wrap up the project - write the last of the articles and organize school visits for the New Year. When that’s done, we face the more difficult challenge of putting our old lives back together again. I would like to go back to college but I loved writing for the Imokilly People and particularly enjoyed taking photographs. I’m not sure what Malc wants to do either. And then there is us. We’ve been in each other’s pockets for the last eight and a half months. We must try to grow our own relationship. Maybe put it back together is more accurate… There’s certainly a lot to do.
Blue? No, not really. I had a great time. I’d do it again in a flash. It was a wonderful trip. The people were fantastic. We saw and did amazing things. It was the trip of a lifetime. But I’m very glad to be home. It’s nice to see family and friends and my piano. I’ve been anxious to get going on the next project – whatever that may be. It’s life that’s really the adventure, not Africa.
PS. Music is wonderful. Keane. The Pixies. Johnnie Cash. It’s all good. My God, how I missed it. A pox on those rats who stole our minidisk players.
- Niamh O Riordan
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