Savannah Grace's Blog - Posts Tagged "travel"
Ramblings of a Newborn Author
(for photos with this same post, check out www.watkinstravel.blogspot.com ) These days I find, whenever I make a post it always starts with, “Well, it’s been a while since I last wrote a blog.” But how else can I start? I apologize. I really wish I had kept up with the blog all of these years because there has been so much to tell. There is always something exciting going on, but since I started writing my book I find I have had no spare time for any extra writing. I regret to say, that since the family journey ended nearly 4 whopping years ago my journals have seemed to dwindle down to occasional notes on my Iphone… Okay, by occasional I mean a blur of random notes constantly being thrown down on a piece of paper or somewhere to get lost and mixed up. I was always so obsessed with my journal writing that I feel I kind of lost a piece of my soul when it stopped. I just cannot find that same rhythm or routine I did while I was on the road. Journaling takes a whole lot of discipline and I think I used up all of the self-discipline I have on writing the book. I am so grateful that Mom forced me not only on the trip but to write a journal all of those years because I don’t think I could’ve written the book without them.
The book release in Vancouver was spectacular and I was shown such incredible support. I was so excited to open that very first box with five proofs. They were beautiful. And each of "The Originial Four" were given a copy. Bre quickly snagged her copy and immediately ripped open the cover, flattened it open and began scribbling all over it. “ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD!” “#1 BEST SELLING BOOK SERIES IN THE WORLD.” Although I was cringing with pain at the sight of my freshly born baby being abused in such a way, it was very sweet of her. I of course, anal as I am, hardly even opened my copy, preferring to keep it perfect and 100% intact. If I had the money I’d probably seal it safely away in a diamond encrusted glass box.
I was surprised more than a couple times during the month of releasing my book. In every direction I turned people were helping me and showing me the way. I never believed a self-published book could get into bookstores but I was proven wrong when Bre started calling all of the bookstores in and around Vancouver. She was accepted again and again and we ran around dropping off books in store after store. Some of the bigger chains such as Indigo and Chapters were obviously a little harder and we were rejected every times on the basis that we need a Canadian distributor, but there is still hope because in the spring they do consignment, so hopefully by then they will be willing to give us a chance.
The North Shore News photoshoot.
Through Bre’s connection with The North Shore News, having been featured for The Best Job in the World before leaving to Australia, she managed to get us an interview with Jane Seyd. You can find that article here on pages 3,9,10,11 just turn the pages by clicking the right hand side of the picture. http://issuu.com/pmcommunity/docs/nsn... An hour appointment with the newspaper turned into 2.5 hours. It probably would have gone on longer had it not be the end of the work day. There is just so much to tell and with the four of us together we could talk for days on end. A photographer was sent to Bre’s new house and we had a few photos snapped. Our moment to shine! And it felt great. After all of those years being in the dirt, suffering on long bus rides, washing our laundry by hand and dreaming of one day writing a book, my dream seemed to have been completed in that moment, holding my book up for the camera, surrounded by my three best travel buddies and showing off our passports. It was a moment I had imagined and hoped for, but thought would probably never happen. For those that don’t know, Sihpromatum, [pronounced SIP-ROW-MAY-TUM], means in more common terms, "a blessing in disguise." The world is full of sihpromatums and I can give you one small example off the top of my head that happened while I was home. I had delivered 20 books to Black Bond Books in Vancouver which were then sent to their warehouse. Not long after I was contacted by the owner saying a couple of my books had been damaged in transit… Poop! Right? I mean, that sucks… now I’ve got two damaged books. I can’t afford to be having losses already. But then, the manager at one of the stores asks me if I could give/lend one of the damaged books to one of the employees who really wanted to read the book. I agreed that this woman, Melanee, could read it. Why not, right? I mean, it’s already a dead book. Well, shortly after I received a phone call with a woman literally beside herself with excitement, nearly screaming at me on the phone like a crazed fan that somehow got a hold of Oprah’s number. “Oh my gosh!! Is this Savannah?!?! You are a fantastic writer. You are going to be the next best selling author, I know it. I just know it! You are incredible!” Of course, my initial thought was “Are you sure you’ve got the right Savannah?” “You’re talking about MY book!?” She had read and absolutely LOVED “Sihpromatum”. Wow, my first real fan! “Do you remember the part where-OH of COURSE you remember!! You were there!!!” she squeals excitedly. She had jotted down notes and recorded passages and pages she loved. This was another moment where I just had goose bumps running up my arms, chills of overwhelming delight. All those years of writing, doubting, not knowing and dreaming became so real and worth it. I had dreamed and envisioned such scenarios a millions times, praying to have a solid real book in my hands.
With Melanee, our #1 Fan.
She went on and on praising me beyond belief. I promised to come to Black Bond Books in Lynn Valley where she works with the whole family to sign the copy she had purchased. What an exciting visit! When I walked into the store to meet her she was literally hanging over the counter trying to sell a young woman my book. Hahah, what a situation to stumble upon. “I can’t even explain to you what it’s about. It’s incredible! You will love it. You just have to buy it…” She was saying when I walked in and announced I was the author of the presented book. Even though I am an absolute unknown author I didn’t need to have a billion dollars to feel like J.K. Rowling. There is no amount of money that can give you that same thrill as somebody complimenting you on your work.
Long story short, Melanee has been selling my book like food at the end of the world and I am so grateful to have her as part of my team. All thanks to those two damaged books which were hardly damaged. Melanee, who has dubbed herself my #1 fan, is one of many examples of feedback I have been getting from my readers. She has kept contact with me through email, ending each one with Your #1 fan Melanee. It almost feels a bit weird, because who am I to deserve such attention and praise? It’s still hard for me to believe and accept that I really wrote something that brings joy, excitement and emotion to other people. What better gift is there in the world? Every so often I get an email from a reader telling me they cried or got teary eyed. Is it slightly cruel that it makes me happy to make people cry?! Basically I have accomplished my goal if I make someone cry. What a strange job I have!! Though, every day I tell Kees “Okay, don’t bug me, I’m at work” while sitting at my desk at any given time of the day. He always laughs that I take it so seriously and believe I’m at work sitting either at my desk or 5ft away in our big bed in my pyjamas, hair flying everywhere. I suppose I need to earn at least one cent before I can call it “work”, eh? I am so grateful and happy that I have been getting such incredibly positive feedback from readers, though marketing and promoting is still a major battle in the world of publishing. It is comforting to know that I have a good product but all of my time since being back in Holland has been given to Twitter, writing interviews for blogs and requesting reviews. It’s amazing how time consuming it is. You can find the reviews on Amazon at •www.amazon.com/Sihpromatum-Grew-Boobs...
though I also receive feedback from those on Twitter. I don’t know how hours go by and I still seem to get nothing done. Well I do but...see.... I feel like I do nothing because all day I'm planting seeds in the ground and at the end of a long day (10am-11pm) I still just see a big, ugly, brown field exactly how it looked when I got there. Nothing seems to have happened or been accomplished until months later when I’ll start to see some green sprouting. I am hoping that time is coming soon. I have to find balance between the marketing and writing, because I’m getting lots of pressure to get #2 finished. I have hardly even started. It’s all still in my brain storming up, but one of these days it will spill out onto the page. Basically what I’m trying to tell you guys is that every single moment of every single day my brain only thinks “BOOK!” I’ve actually become quite a slave to it. I eat, breath, dream and sleep talk boooookkkkk. It’s funny because while travelling I constantly had dreams about keeping my journals safe and having nightmares they were getting wet. Now I dream of book reviews on Amazon, newspaper articles, statcounter stats and how many copies I’ve sold. There’s nothing else on my mind. My whole world revolves around…okay, I think you get the point. But now I have to get serious and there is only one place to start, and that place is Chapter 1. So I am off to see the wizard. PS. I have recently been dubbed “Odysseus Grace” by a fellow self-publisher who has just read and enjoyed “Sihpromatum”. I think I might stick with that one, lol! To get a taste of some of the interviews/reviews I have been doing here are a few: •www.bookfangirling.blogspot.nl/2012/1...
•www.thevelveteenmaraca.wordpress.com/...
•www.davestravelcorner.com/interviews/...
•www.tumblinginbooks.blogspot.ca/2012/...
For those who haven’t yet, you can follow me on Twitter @Sihpromatum
Also I’d LOVE if you took the time to LIKE my FB page : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sihprom... And you can connect with me on FB by friending me at Savannah Grace : Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. Believe me, it means the world to this author. ;) Author!!! It’s kind of official now, isn’t it?! Oh and of course, go visit my website if you haven't already. •www.sihpromatum.com
Savannah
The book release in Vancouver was spectacular and I was shown such incredible support. I was so excited to open that very first box with five proofs. They were beautiful. And each of "The Originial Four" were given a copy. Bre quickly snagged her copy and immediately ripped open the cover, flattened it open and began scribbling all over it. “ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD!” “#1 BEST SELLING BOOK SERIES IN THE WORLD.” Although I was cringing with pain at the sight of my freshly born baby being abused in such a way, it was very sweet of her. I of course, anal as I am, hardly even opened my copy, preferring to keep it perfect and 100% intact. If I had the money I’d probably seal it safely away in a diamond encrusted glass box.
I was surprised more than a couple times during the month of releasing my book. In every direction I turned people were helping me and showing me the way. I never believed a self-published book could get into bookstores but I was proven wrong when Bre started calling all of the bookstores in and around Vancouver. She was accepted again and again and we ran around dropping off books in store after store. Some of the bigger chains such as Indigo and Chapters were obviously a little harder and we were rejected every times on the basis that we need a Canadian distributor, but there is still hope because in the spring they do consignment, so hopefully by then they will be willing to give us a chance.
The North Shore News photoshoot.
Through Bre’s connection with The North Shore News, having been featured for The Best Job in the World before leaving to Australia, she managed to get us an interview with Jane Seyd. You can find that article here on pages 3,9,10,11 just turn the pages by clicking the right hand side of the picture. http://issuu.com/pmcommunity/docs/nsn... An hour appointment with the newspaper turned into 2.5 hours. It probably would have gone on longer had it not be the end of the work day. There is just so much to tell and with the four of us together we could talk for days on end. A photographer was sent to Bre’s new house and we had a few photos snapped. Our moment to shine! And it felt great. After all of those years being in the dirt, suffering on long bus rides, washing our laundry by hand and dreaming of one day writing a book, my dream seemed to have been completed in that moment, holding my book up for the camera, surrounded by my three best travel buddies and showing off our passports. It was a moment I had imagined and hoped for, but thought would probably never happen. For those that don’t know, Sihpromatum, [pronounced SIP-ROW-MAY-TUM], means in more common terms, "a blessing in disguise." The world is full of sihpromatums and I can give you one small example off the top of my head that happened while I was home. I had delivered 20 books to Black Bond Books in Vancouver which were then sent to their warehouse. Not long after I was contacted by the owner saying a couple of my books had been damaged in transit… Poop! Right? I mean, that sucks… now I’ve got two damaged books. I can’t afford to be having losses already. But then, the manager at one of the stores asks me if I could give/lend one of the damaged books to one of the employees who really wanted to read the book. I agreed that this woman, Melanee, could read it. Why not, right? I mean, it’s already a dead book. Well, shortly after I received a phone call with a woman literally beside herself with excitement, nearly screaming at me on the phone like a crazed fan that somehow got a hold of Oprah’s number. “Oh my gosh!! Is this Savannah?!?! You are a fantastic writer. You are going to be the next best selling author, I know it. I just know it! You are incredible!” Of course, my initial thought was “Are you sure you’ve got the right Savannah?” “You’re talking about MY book!?” She had read and absolutely LOVED “Sihpromatum”. Wow, my first real fan! “Do you remember the part where-OH of COURSE you remember!! You were there!!!” she squeals excitedly. She had jotted down notes and recorded passages and pages she loved. This was another moment where I just had goose bumps running up my arms, chills of overwhelming delight. All those years of writing, doubting, not knowing and dreaming became so real and worth it. I had dreamed and envisioned such scenarios a millions times, praying to have a solid real book in my hands.
With Melanee, our #1 Fan.
She went on and on praising me beyond belief. I promised to come to Black Bond Books in Lynn Valley where she works with the whole family to sign the copy she had purchased. What an exciting visit! When I walked into the store to meet her she was literally hanging over the counter trying to sell a young woman my book. Hahah, what a situation to stumble upon. “I can’t even explain to you what it’s about. It’s incredible! You will love it. You just have to buy it…” She was saying when I walked in and announced I was the author of the presented book. Even though I am an absolute unknown author I didn’t need to have a billion dollars to feel like J.K. Rowling. There is no amount of money that can give you that same thrill as somebody complimenting you on your work.
Long story short, Melanee has been selling my book like food at the end of the world and I am so grateful to have her as part of my team. All thanks to those two damaged books which were hardly damaged. Melanee, who has dubbed herself my #1 fan, is one of many examples of feedback I have been getting from my readers. She has kept contact with me through email, ending each one with Your #1 fan Melanee. It almost feels a bit weird, because who am I to deserve such attention and praise? It’s still hard for me to believe and accept that I really wrote something that brings joy, excitement and emotion to other people. What better gift is there in the world? Every so often I get an email from a reader telling me they cried or got teary eyed. Is it slightly cruel that it makes me happy to make people cry?! Basically I have accomplished my goal if I make someone cry. What a strange job I have!! Though, every day I tell Kees “Okay, don’t bug me, I’m at work” while sitting at my desk at any given time of the day. He always laughs that I take it so seriously and believe I’m at work sitting either at my desk or 5ft away in our big bed in my pyjamas, hair flying everywhere. I suppose I need to earn at least one cent before I can call it “work”, eh? I am so grateful and happy that I have been getting such incredibly positive feedback from readers, though marketing and promoting is still a major battle in the world of publishing. It is comforting to know that I have a good product but all of my time since being back in Holland has been given to Twitter, writing interviews for blogs and requesting reviews. It’s amazing how time consuming it is. You can find the reviews on Amazon at •www.amazon.com/Sihpromatum-Grew-Boobs...
though I also receive feedback from those on Twitter. I don’t know how hours go by and I still seem to get nothing done. Well I do but...see.... I feel like I do nothing because all day I'm planting seeds in the ground and at the end of a long day (10am-11pm) I still just see a big, ugly, brown field exactly how it looked when I got there. Nothing seems to have happened or been accomplished until months later when I’ll start to see some green sprouting. I am hoping that time is coming soon. I have to find balance between the marketing and writing, because I’m getting lots of pressure to get #2 finished. I have hardly even started. It’s all still in my brain storming up, but one of these days it will spill out onto the page. Basically what I’m trying to tell you guys is that every single moment of every single day my brain only thinks “BOOK!” I’ve actually become quite a slave to it. I eat, breath, dream and sleep talk boooookkkkk. It’s funny because while travelling I constantly had dreams about keeping my journals safe and having nightmares they were getting wet. Now I dream of book reviews on Amazon, newspaper articles, statcounter stats and how many copies I’ve sold. There’s nothing else on my mind. My whole world revolves around…okay, I think you get the point. But now I have to get serious and there is only one place to start, and that place is Chapter 1. So I am off to see the wizard. PS. I have recently been dubbed “Odysseus Grace” by a fellow self-publisher who has just read and enjoyed “Sihpromatum”. I think I might stick with that one, lol! To get a taste of some of the interviews/reviews I have been doing here are a few: •www.bookfangirling.blogspot.nl/2012/1...
•www.thevelveteenmaraca.wordpress.com/...
•www.davestravelcorner.com/interviews/...
•www.tumblinginbooks.blogspot.ca/2012/...
For those who haven’t yet, you can follow me on Twitter @Sihpromatum
Also I’d LOVE if you took the time to LIKE my FB page : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sihprom... And you can connect with me on FB by friending me at Savannah Grace : Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. Believe me, it means the world to this author. ;) Author!!! It’s kind of official now, isn’t it?! Oh and of course, go visit my website if you haven't already. •www.sihpromatum.com
Savannah
Book Trailer
My very first book trailer, thanks to my lovely boyfriend!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra2ARM...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra2ARM...
Alkmaar, The Netherlands
http://flightsandfrustration.com/alkm...
Alkmaar
It all started as a little romance and blossomed into so much more.
I was just 18 years old when I leaped on a plane determined to follow my heart. Perhaps my planning wasn’t up to par, having left myself with only 40 euros in my pocket after quitting my bakery job and splurging everything else on an overseas ticket.
When I set foot on fertile Dutch soil in April of 2009 the scent of flowers washed over me as my hero arrived on the scene with a bouquet of tulips, the national flower. The perfect welcome to the country I was destined to settle in. We’d met in Ghana, West Africa where he “rescued”me and together we'd travelled for 8 months, north to south, south to north, circumnavigating the entire African continent.
As my romance blossomed now in Europe so did the thousands of flowers in the vast nutrient-rich fields around us. We ventured from Amsterdam’s red light districts and cafes to Bergen’s endless stretches of smooth, sandy coastline to Keukenhof’s colorful garden paths to Volendam’s raw herring on the boardwalk. But it was Alkmaar that captured my heart.
Forty minutes north of Amsterdam, Alkmaar is best known for its cheese market but to me it is home, a peaceful town full of beauty and culture. Holland, or The Netherlands, is known for being flat and at low elevation. Ironically, despite being so low the flatness gives the illusion that you are at the top of the world with nothing towering over you. Many come to Holland to get a high, but to me I feel high every day, up on a plateau breathing fresh air, the flying clouds passing by like leaping sheep in the blue sky. The sun is always so close like it belongs to Holland and Holland alone.
When I first arrived we lived in a tiny house only a five-minute drive from Alkmaar’s center yet every morning we woke to the raspy call of a rooster. I experienced the best of all worlds with the comforts of modern luxuries and a historic outer shell balanced with the beauty of nature. Every inch of land is cultivated, man-made and manicured to perfection. I loved how you could be in the city shopping one moment and the next you’re amid farmlands speckled with graceful swans and black Frisian beauties.
Lush green grass sways gently in the ever present winds that turn the windmills and spread pollen to thousands of colorful tulips. By bicycle, arched wooden bridges jumping from canal to canal urge you to explore deeper and discover every last inch. It wasn’t until I arrived that my Dutch boyfriend started to see his own city with new eyes. I explained how the red brick roads through the city are a passage into a Disney-like fairytale. I pointed out the brick houses, each one unique and precisely made with such care and detail. I showed him the beauty of the churches which looked more like castles drawn straight out of a fairy land.
Alkmaar was a colorful contrast to my modern world of cold cement, steel and glass giants. Houses which date back as far as the 1600’s with big years labeled on them blow me away even now when I consider that most of them are older than my country.
Parties and festivals are constant in or around Alkmaar. Everyone loves to come together and express themselves through art and music. Anything from drumming and dancing at festivals; flower art competitions in small villages; enormous concerts; football (soccer) gatherings with helicopters dropping real flowers over the crowd; carnivals in the center of town blocking off streets so kids and parents alike can spend their evenings eating cotton candy and making themselves sick on spinning rides. It’s so alive and welcoming with everyone happy to share and express themselves, unafraid to share a table at a restaurant or bathe topless at the beach while smoking a joint.
Now 22 I’m still in Alkmaar with the love of my life and even today, 3.5 years later, I am overwhelmed by this quaint treasure. I’ve recently completed my first book, “Sihpromatum – I Grew My Boobs in China” which is the start of a series about my life growing up on the road abroad with my family.
I continue to write and be inspired by the genuine beauty around me. I follow my dreams by letting my heart lead the way. It’s taken me this far and I know it will continue to surprise me and fill my life with uncertainty and excitement.
Savannah Grace
Alkmaar
It all started as a little romance and blossomed into so much more.
I was just 18 years old when I leaped on a plane determined to follow my heart. Perhaps my planning wasn’t up to par, having left myself with only 40 euros in my pocket after quitting my bakery job and splurging everything else on an overseas ticket.
When I set foot on fertile Dutch soil in April of 2009 the scent of flowers washed over me as my hero arrived on the scene with a bouquet of tulips, the national flower. The perfect welcome to the country I was destined to settle in. We’d met in Ghana, West Africa where he “rescued”me and together we'd travelled for 8 months, north to south, south to north, circumnavigating the entire African continent.
As my romance blossomed now in Europe so did the thousands of flowers in the vast nutrient-rich fields around us. We ventured from Amsterdam’s red light districts and cafes to Bergen’s endless stretches of smooth, sandy coastline to Keukenhof’s colorful garden paths to Volendam’s raw herring on the boardwalk. But it was Alkmaar that captured my heart.
Forty minutes north of Amsterdam, Alkmaar is best known for its cheese market but to me it is home, a peaceful town full of beauty and culture. Holland, or The Netherlands, is known for being flat and at low elevation. Ironically, despite being so low the flatness gives the illusion that you are at the top of the world with nothing towering over you. Many come to Holland to get a high, but to me I feel high every day, up on a plateau breathing fresh air, the flying clouds passing by like leaping sheep in the blue sky. The sun is always so close like it belongs to Holland and Holland alone.
When I first arrived we lived in a tiny house only a five-minute drive from Alkmaar’s center yet every morning we woke to the raspy call of a rooster. I experienced the best of all worlds with the comforts of modern luxuries and a historic outer shell balanced with the beauty of nature. Every inch of land is cultivated, man-made and manicured to perfection. I loved how you could be in the city shopping one moment and the next you’re amid farmlands speckled with graceful swans and black Frisian beauties.
Lush green grass sways gently in the ever present winds that turn the windmills and spread pollen to thousands of colorful tulips. By bicycle, arched wooden bridges jumping from canal to canal urge you to explore deeper and discover every last inch. It wasn’t until I arrived that my Dutch boyfriend started to see his own city with new eyes. I explained how the red brick roads through the city are a passage into a Disney-like fairytale. I pointed out the brick houses, each one unique and precisely made with such care and detail. I showed him the beauty of the churches which looked more like castles drawn straight out of a fairy land.
Alkmaar was a colorful contrast to my modern world of cold cement, steel and glass giants. Houses which date back as far as the 1600’s with big years labeled on them blow me away even now when I consider that most of them are older than my country.
Parties and festivals are constant in or around Alkmaar. Everyone loves to come together and express themselves through art and music. Anything from drumming and dancing at festivals; flower art competitions in small villages; enormous concerts; football (soccer) gatherings with helicopters dropping real flowers over the crowd; carnivals in the center of town blocking off streets so kids and parents alike can spend their evenings eating cotton candy and making themselves sick on spinning rides. It’s so alive and welcoming with everyone happy to share and express themselves, unafraid to share a table at a restaurant or bathe topless at the beach while smoking a joint.
Now 22 I’m still in Alkmaar with the love of my life and even today, 3.5 years later, I am overwhelmed by this quaint treasure. I’ve recently completed my first book, “Sihpromatum – I Grew My Boobs in China” which is the start of a series about my life growing up on the road abroad with my family.
I continue to write and be inspired by the genuine beauty around me. I follow my dreams by letting my heart lead the way. It’s taken me this far and I know it will continue to surprise me and fill my life with uncertainty and excitement.
Savannah Grace
Travel Longer Magazine
I feel completely excited and honored to be the 'Book Feature" in Travel Longer Magazine!
For anyone looking for the next best electronic travel magazine check it out.
It's my first ever Magazine appearance!! Check out "BOOK FEATURE" if you have Itunes or Ipad, it's free. http://bit.ly/Sjjj6A
It's just the most amazing feeling to have my book/baby getting out into the world and being shared with so many people.
For anyone looking for the next best electronic travel magazine check it out.
It's my first ever Magazine appearance!! Check out "BOOK FEATURE" if you have Itunes or Ipad, it's free. http://bit.ly/Sjjj6A
It's just the most amazing feeling to have my book/baby getting out into the world and being shared with so many people.
Travel/Author Interview
If you're in a travel reading mood while enjoying your holiday, here's another interview for you =) http://www.backpackingdiplomacy.com/i...
Arrival in Guinea, West Africa!!!!!
Link to my blog. Read about my arrival in Conakry, Guinea: http://www.watkinstravel.blogspot.com/
Author Note: Kees is pronounced Case. Rhymes with bookcase and suitcase.
After all of the passport struggles of the week before, I started to doubt our Africa trip would pull through. In truth, I even started to lose interest in it. With all the setbacks and barricades in our path our plane was surely going to crash, right? I guess life isn’t always that easy to predict. If we did make it I feared going back to the area of the world which was the most testing of my entire life and the emotions I’d face. How would I feel? How would I react? Could I handle it? It’s been just over 4 years since I abandoned our family trip. Two years of which had been spent living day to day eating, sleeping and traveling with and like locals as we circumnavigated the entire African continent.
Lately I have been absorbing myself in our photos for the second book. It is hard to believe we really went through all those experiences, especially as a family. Sometimes it’s hard for me to even comprehend the extent of what we did and how we did it. Am I really capable of those things? So naturally, going back to one of the poorest countries in all of Africa, not on a safari, resort or something protected and shielded from the local lifestyle, intimidated me. After losing my passport, all the setbacks and trying to see how it could possibly be a sihpromatum, the only satisfying reason was that we were being prevented from a disaster, so the closer we came to getting on the plane the more scared I became.
We didn’t know until the last hours before our departure if we were actually going to make it. My temporary passport had miraculously processed in record time, and I had it in my hands the day before. At 3:30 a.m. Kieta and a friend drove us to Belgium so we could be on the doorsteps of the Guinean Embassy the moment it opened. Halfway to Brussels I realized I’d forgotten my visa photos for the application, making me even more certain some kind of “force” was preventing our departure. Expecting the embassy to open at 8a.m. we started to stress when 9a.m. rolled by and the embassy still hadn’t opened; our plane only 4 hours now from takeoff. Luckily at 9:15 the officials arrived with us following them in on their heels. Luck on our side, after playing stupid, I was simply told to bring visa photos next time and ten minutes later Kees, Keita and I were in the car driving to Brussels International Airport. Going through customs I got a few strange looks and hesitant glares as they observed my white “TEMPORARY PASSPORT” with only 8 pages. I’m completely disappointed that once I return from this trip I am not allowed to keep it as a souvenir!
8.5 hours later, including a 1.5 hour stopover in Banjul, The Gambia, we landed in the black night of Africa. Keita’s brother met us and took our luggage in his car while we caught a taxi to his sister’s house.
Though I’ve been to Guinea before, this was my first time in the capital city, Conakry, and the atmosphere here was no different than I’d experienced hundreds of times before.I was completely overwhelmed the instant I set foot outside. Wow. No number of words, metaphors or descriptions can express the emotions that flooded in. The so familiar, yet forgotten scents and flavors of African pollution, burning street fires and kerosene in the hot night air hit me. It was like finding a familiar yet lost piece of my childhood.
Driving in the pitch black without street lights, the honking horns, smoke and dodging other cars, I had to hold back the tears. Not because of fear, discomfort or anything of that sort, but coming back to a place that was so much a part of my life and my history. I was transported into the past but my world had changed so drastically not having my family by my side and the dirty backpacks in the trunk.
“But I’m your family too, sweet,” Kees said, his strong arm around me. Before arriving I thought I would never again experience that pure shock of a first timer. I did not have the shock that would normally come from such a drastic change in scenery and culture. These surroundings felt comfortable, like I had just discovered an old tree house I’d made as a child and I instantly adapted.
For me, Africa never truly felt like a holiday or vacation, it was simply a part of my growing up. I spent almost my entire teenage years living as a nomad exploring from place to place. I was transported back to a place and time that was both incredible and terrible, where I discovered the pains and joys of heartbreak and falling in love. I’d been challenged and rewarded with the ups and the downs of life. I don’t think any amount of words can bring these emotions to life for my readers, but I can tell you it was one of my most meditating, wowing moments that brought tears to my eyes.
It amazes me how much has changed in my life in the past 4 years and to see how it all worked out. Last time I was in Guinea, 5 years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to wish for a more perfect future. If I could only have told myself what lay ahead when I was struggling so much, I wonder how much of a difference it would have made or if I’d even have believed it.
I have a wonderful guy who surprises me and makes me laugh every day. I get to continue exploring the globe with my sweetheart who shares the same passion for travel as I do. He takes such good care of me and makes me feel like a real princess. After years together it’s still hard to look at him because his face gives me butterflies. The book I dreamed of for years truly exists and the support and success I feel with that is a dream come true. Life is full of potential and opportunities and I’m so excited to see what the future will bring.
Savannah
Author Note: Kees is pronounced Case. Rhymes with bookcase and suitcase.
After all of the passport struggles of the week before, I started to doubt our Africa trip would pull through. In truth, I even started to lose interest in it. With all the setbacks and barricades in our path our plane was surely going to crash, right? I guess life isn’t always that easy to predict. If we did make it I feared going back to the area of the world which was the most testing of my entire life and the emotions I’d face. How would I feel? How would I react? Could I handle it? It’s been just over 4 years since I abandoned our family trip. Two years of which had been spent living day to day eating, sleeping and traveling with and like locals as we circumnavigated the entire African continent.
Lately I have been absorbing myself in our photos for the second book. It is hard to believe we really went through all those experiences, especially as a family. Sometimes it’s hard for me to even comprehend the extent of what we did and how we did it. Am I really capable of those things? So naturally, going back to one of the poorest countries in all of Africa, not on a safari, resort or something protected and shielded from the local lifestyle, intimidated me. After losing my passport, all the setbacks and trying to see how it could possibly be a sihpromatum, the only satisfying reason was that we were being prevented from a disaster, so the closer we came to getting on the plane the more scared I became.
We didn’t know until the last hours before our departure if we were actually going to make it. My temporary passport had miraculously processed in record time, and I had it in my hands the day before. At 3:30 a.m. Kieta and a friend drove us to Belgium so we could be on the doorsteps of the Guinean Embassy the moment it opened. Halfway to Brussels I realized I’d forgotten my visa photos for the application, making me even more certain some kind of “force” was preventing our departure. Expecting the embassy to open at 8a.m. we started to stress when 9a.m. rolled by and the embassy still hadn’t opened; our plane only 4 hours now from takeoff. Luckily at 9:15 the officials arrived with us following them in on their heels. Luck on our side, after playing stupid, I was simply told to bring visa photos next time and ten minutes later Kees, Keita and I were in the car driving to Brussels International Airport. Going through customs I got a few strange looks and hesitant glares as they observed my white “TEMPORARY PASSPORT” with only 8 pages. I’m completely disappointed that once I return from this trip I am not allowed to keep it as a souvenir!
8.5 hours later, including a 1.5 hour stopover in Banjul, The Gambia, we landed in the black night of Africa. Keita’s brother met us and took our luggage in his car while we caught a taxi to his sister’s house.
Though I’ve been to Guinea before, this was my first time in the capital city, Conakry, and the atmosphere here was no different than I’d experienced hundreds of times before.I was completely overwhelmed the instant I set foot outside. Wow. No number of words, metaphors or descriptions can express the emotions that flooded in. The so familiar, yet forgotten scents and flavors of African pollution, burning street fires and kerosene in the hot night air hit me. It was like finding a familiar yet lost piece of my childhood.
Driving in the pitch black without street lights, the honking horns, smoke and dodging other cars, I had to hold back the tears. Not because of fear, discomfort or anything of that sort, but coming back to a place that was so much a part of my life and my history. I was transported into the past but my world had changed so drastically not having my family by my side and the dirty backpacks in the trunk.
“But I’m your family too, sweet,” Kees said, his strong arm around me. Before arriving I thought I would never again experience that pure shock of a first timer. I did not have the shock that would normally come from such a drastic change in scenery and culture. These surroundings felt comfortable, like I had just discovered an old tree house I’d made as a child and I instantly adapted.
For me, Africa never truly felt like a holiday or vacation, it was simply a part of my growing up. I spent almost my entire teenage years living as a nomad exploring from place to place. I was transported back to a place and time that was both incredible and terrible, where I discovered the pains and joys of heartbreak and falling in love. I’d been challenged and rewarded with the ups and the downs of life. I don’t think any amount of words can bring these emotions to life for my readers, but I can tell you it was one of my most meditating, wowing moments that brought tears to my eyes.
It amazes me how much has changed in my life in the past 4 years and to see how it all worked out. Last time I was in Guinea, 5 years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to wish for a more perfect future. If I could only have told myself what lay ahead when I was struggling so much, I wonder how much of a difference it would have made or if I’d even have believed it.
I have a wonderful guy who surprises me and makes me laugh every day. I get to continue exploring the globe with my sweetheart who shares the same passion for travel as I do. He takes such good care of me and makes me feel like a real princess. After years together it’s still hard to look at him because his face gives me butterflies. The book I dreamed of for years truly exists and the support and success I feel with that is a dream come true. Life is full of potential and opportunities and I’m so excited to see what the future will bring.
Savannah
TEAM SIHPROMATUM for Amazing Race Canada!!!
Team Sihpromatum!!! My world traveling siblings' Amazing Race Canada audition http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaOpNe...
I'm sos excited and have my fingers crossed for them!!!
I'm sos excited and have my fingers crossed for them!!!
Building Project Guinea
Latest blog post up about our building project on Kassa island off the coast of Conakry, Guinea in West Africa! Find teh story here with photos. http://www.watkinstravel.blogspot.nl/
Guinea Island Project: 25/02/2013 Author Note: Kees is pronounced Case. Rhymes with bookcase. Remember that little comment I made about Kees surprising me every day? Well one of those surprises was a few years ago when I first heard he’d bought a piece of land on Kassa, an island off the coast of Guinea. I admit I shook my head at him, especially when I found out it was only a 15-20 minute boat ride from the chaotic capital city. What kind of absurd idea is this!? It didn’t make much sense to me. I considered the work ethics, reliability and corruption in Africa but the bigger question was, who on earth GOES to Guinea, one of the poorest countries in the world?! I’d been on an island not far from there called Bolama just off the coast of Guinea Bissau which is the country north of Guinea. Although it was a nice experience and had its charm, it wasn’t what I would call a good investment or a “holiday excursion”.
This little project of Kees’ was only a couple thousand euro gamble so I figured, “let him have his fun”. Despite my reservations, when I heard he was going to fly there in February I was too scared to be left out of a good adventure, so I jumped aboard. Plus, I like to stay close to him. The last time Kees saw the island was nearly a decade ago when he first talked about buying land there with his Guinean friend Keita. Though we’ve technically owned the land for 3 years already, this was the first time either of us would actually see what he’d bought. Whenever I told someone the reason behind our trip to Guinea, I shrugged my shoulders, just as confused as them. Well, BOY WAS I WRONG! I seriously love our island! Yes, notice how I’ve snuck that our word in there.
From the narrow, concrete pier of Conakry’s bustling harbor, Keita helped to arrange a private boat to Kassa. With the honking, shouting and many indistinguishable smells fading behind us, I set eyes on the island ahead as it got bigger and bigger. I immediately felt excited as the palm trees and sands got closer. The sun was shining down warming my back, a wonderful change from the slushy, cold rains in Holland.
It was a super short trip, only 15-20 minutes from the capital city, yet it seemed a million miles from it. You could probably get there in 7 minutes with a good boat and motor, but they tend to go at a snail pace to save money on fuel. It’s surprising that despite being so close to civilization, the island feels very remote and untouched. With such easy access to this beautiful island, how come it hadn’t been claimed or built up sooner?
Landing, we walked across the width of the island directly to our piece of land in less than 5 minutes! Keita showed us the way and I was absolutely blown away when I set eyes on our home away from home. It is much bigger than I expected and already there are three of ten huts in the process of being built and we have our first well which Keita started on a previous trip, but this trip was about getting our hut built.
The entire property which is owned by Keita is 5,000m2, 10% of which we own. With this we already have big plans. I immediately went from thinking Kees was crazy to believing him when he said, “This place is going to be in the Lonely Planet”.
A beautiful rocky area covered by palm trees and banana plants will be the future bar/restaurant. We’ve got lots of beach front property which with some work will be great! We can build a pier and get a boat. Checking the perimeters, Kees pointed out the spot where he wanted his hut to be, just in front of the big baobab tree, with a stunning view of the ocean.
I immediately saw the great potential in this property and am so excited to see it all happen. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t stop thinking about mom and how much she would have absolutely loved this whole experience. After seeing the island, our property and choosing the spot, we took a boat back to Conakry to get to the drawing board. In about 15 minutes, Kees drew the sketch of our future house. You could say he got carried away just a little, as our little hut turned into a giant platform with two larger huts, including an entire storage floor underneath.
The next morning the architect came to our local compound to see Kees’ drawing. After Kees’d explained his sketch the guy left, and came back later that day with the real blueprints. Wow, a dream takes the first step! Next, we needed to meet with the builder. In the meantime Kees and I had moved over to stay on the island at a nice place which mainly attracts French military and serves as a getaway for charity workers, etc. in the country. Though there are few actual tourists/backpackers at this point, there are definitely more whiteys or as they call us, “footays”, than I’d expected. Crazy as it sounds, with tourism spreading down from Morocco to The Gambia, I can actually see Guinea becoming a tourist destination in the next ten years. We met with our builder, and showed him the blue prints and our chosen location. With a measuring tape and his crew, he jumped into the bushes to get his thing together. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing as these topless “bushmen” immediately got to work, dealing with the most rural, basic conditions. I was immediately impressed by them! Being the only girl among at least a dozen guys, I watched as they made a small sample idea in sand with sticks and twigs. The builder drew up a list of the material we needed to arrange and bring to the island before he could start.
Keita, Kees and our builder (left photo: topless on the left), stepped to the side to discuss in private the conditions, price and schedule. When Kees came back and filled me in, my jaw fell off when he ended it with “and he promises he can get the house up and finished in two months!”. And so it begins!!! As Kees and I stayed and enjoyed a tropical holiday in one of two resort/hotels on the island, Keita fought the heat and stress of Conakry as he arranged wood, iron, wheelbarrows and cement to be transported by boat over the following days. A dream starts to take shape! We watched each and every step with excitement that week.
Two boats arrived the first day with what seemed an endless amount of supplies being loaded onto the worker’s heads. Load after load of 50k sacks of cement were put on the heads of shirtless guys with muscles that could put washboards out of business in Africa. In just flip-flops they balanced through the muddy shores and climbed the bank, making a chain like ants across the island to our tropical paradise.
While the material was being hauled, the builder was busy taking measurements, making notes, clearing the land of bush and trees. Each day we were greeted either with respectful handshakes from the workers, and/or Kees being called “patron” or “master” and me “Madame”. Each time we visited, the frame was becoming more and more of a reality as we watched them cut out entire boulders, pour cement and build wooden boxes for the pillars. Sweat poured off chocolate skin in the heat of the day. With shirts wrapped around their heads, muscles shined with the gleam of their sweat. Though at times it felt a bit weird being the “Madame”, for reasons I don’t think I need to explain, I know that realistically they are more than capable of this hard, physical labour and I had to think of the sherpas in Nepal. They must be thrilled to have secure employment for the next two months.
The boss builder was funny when we arrived, he’d yell at the guys taking a break in the shade of the palms, anxious for us to see them in action. I did feel bad if they had just sat down for a breather.
I kept thinking of Mom and how much she would have loved to join us on this trip. Last year when Kees tried to go to Guinea, he insisted it wouldn’t be worth it for her to come because it wasn’t a “holiday” trip. Next time she HAS to go because I know she will love it. In the shade of the palms down the slope from our small construction site, the temperature was purely perfect with a slight breeze coming in from the ocean, birds singing overhead and the workers picking fresh mangoes and coconuts for us from our own trees! Kees was right that it wasn’t a relaxing holiday, it was so much more. It was a trip that had all my senses screaming at me, fighting for the next note to be written. Though sometimes I was sunburnt, felt exhausted, and had to shower with cold bucket water after hours of dust sticking to my sweaty skin, I experienced something new and wouldn’t trade that for anything. What is more beautiful on this earth than watching a dream become a reality?
I even started to insist that I would stay on Kassa and watch the entire building process. Though, even if I was serious he would never let me because, “What would I tell your mom? I left you here in Africa? Ya, right!” And he’d made it quite clear I had no choice when I tested, “but I could stay if I REALLY wanted.” “No you couldn’t.” “Why not?!” “Because of these,” He said, flashing his bicep. “LOL. Okay, okay, you win.”
I feel privileged to have been part of this and to see the start of such a project. We could never have done any of this without the help of Keita who spent days running around arranging everything. It was so exciting to see the progress each day. I love the atmosphere of our “Little Holland”, which the locals have started referring it to as. What started as a fun little idea has turned into a big project that I think, with time, could be a hot spot for backpackers. We envision round huts, palm leaf walled toilets where you can gaze at the stars while you shower, suspension bridges crossing between trees, torch lit pathways to individual huts and a small but lively bar. A little getaway to the tropics with a special atmosphere. Whatever happens though, we know we at least have a house being built for us that we will definitely be able to enjoy. Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought I’d have a topical holiday home in Guinea let alone AFRICA. Life continues to surprise me. I know I have already and can NOT wait to see how Kees’ 15 minute drawing looks in REAL life, overlooking that big, sparkly ocean...
Take the step forward, follow that dream ! Savannah
Guinea Island Project: 25/02/2013 Author Note: Kees is pronounced Case. Rhymes with bookcase. Remember that little comment I made about Kees surprising me every day? Well one of those surprises was a few years ago when I first heard he’d bought a piece of land on Kassa, an island off the coast of Guinea. I admit I shook my head at him, especially when I found out it was only a 15-20 minute boat ride from the chaotic capital city. What kind of absurd idea is this!? It didn’t make much sense to me. I considered the work ethics, reliability and corruption in Africa but the bigger question was, who on earth GOES to Guinea, one of the poorest countries in the world?! I’d been on an island not far from there called Bolama just off the coast of Guinea Bissau which is the country north of Guinea. Although it was a nice experience and had its charm, it wasn’t what I would call a good investment or a “holiday excursion”.
This little project of Kees’ was only a couple thousand euro gamble so I figured, “let him have his fun”. Despite my reservations, when I heard he was going to fly there in February I was too scared to be left out of a good adventure, so I jumped aboard. Plus, I like to stay close to him. The last time Kees saw the island was nearly a decade ago when he first talked about buying land there with his Guinean friend Keita. Though we’ve technically owned the land for 3 years already, this was the first time either of us would actually see what he’d bought. Whenever I told someone the reason behind our trip to Guinea, I shrugged my shoulders, just as confused as them. Well, BOY WAS I WRONG! I seriously love our island! Yes, notice how I’ve snuck that our word in there.
From the narrow, concrete pier of Conakry’s bustling harbor, Keita helped to arrange a private boat to Kassa. With the honking, shouting and many indistinguishable smells fading behind us, I set eyes on the island ahead as it got bigger and bigger. I immediately felt excited as the palm trees and sands got closer. The sun was shining down warming my back, a wonderful change from the slushy, cold rains in Holland.
It was a super short trip, only 15-20 minutes from the capital city, yet it seemed a million miles from it. You could probably get there in 7 minutes with a good boat and motor, but they tend to go at a snail pace to save money on fuel. It’s surprising that despite being so close to civilization, the island feels very remote and untouched. With such easy access to this beautiful island, how come it hadn’t been claimed or built up sooner?
Landing, we walked across the width of the island directly to our piece of land in less than 5 minutes! Keita showed us the way and I was absolutely blown away when I set eyes on our home away from home. It is much bigger than I expected and already there are three of ten huts in the process of being built and we have our first well which Keita started on a previous trip, but this trip was about getting our hut built.
The entire property which is owned by Keita is 5,000m2, 10% of which we own. With this we already have big plans. I immediately went from thinking Kees was crazy to believing him when he said, “This place is going to be in the Lonely Planet”.
A beautiful rocky area covered by palm trees and banana plants will be the future bar/restaurant. We’ve got lots of beach front property which with some work will be great! We can build a pier and get a boat. Checking the perimeters, Kees pointed out the spot where he wanted his hut to be, just in front of the big baobab tree, with a stunning view of the ocean.
I immediately saw the great potential in this property and am so excited to see it all happen. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t stop thinking about mom and how much she would have absolutely loved this whole experience. After seeing the island, our property and choosing the spot, we took a boat back to Conakry to get to the drawing board. In about 15 minutes, Kees drew the sketch of our future house. You could say he got carried away just a little, as our little hut turned into a giant platform with two larger huts, including an entire storage floor underneath.
The next morning the architect came to our local compound to see Kees’ drawing. After Kees’d explained his sketch the guy left, and came back later that day with the real blueprints. Wow, a dream takes the first step! Next, we needed to meet with the builder. In the meantime Kees and I had moved over to stay on the island at a nice place which mainly attracts French military and serves as a getaway for charity workers, etc. in the country. Though there are few actual tourists/backpackers at this point, there are definitely more whiteys or as they call us, “footays”, than I’d expected. Crazy as it sounds, with tourism spreading down from Morocco to The Gambia, I can actually see Guinea becoming a tourist destination in the next ten years. We met with our builder, and showed him the blue prints and our chosen location. With a measuring tape and his crew, he jumped into the bushes to get his thing together. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing as these topless “bushmen” immediately got to work, dealing with the most rural, basic conditions. I was immediately impressed by them! Being the only girl among at least a dozen guys, I watched as they made a small sample idea in sand with sticks and twigs. The builder drew up a list of the material we needed to arrange and bring to the island before he could start.
Keita, Kees and our builder (left photo: topless on the left), stepped to the side to discuss in private the conditions, price and schedule. When Kees came back and filled me in, my jaw fell off when he ended it with “and he promises he can get the house up and finished in two months!”. And so it begins!!! As Kees and I stayed and enjoyed a tropical holiday in one of two resort/hotels on the island, Keita fought the heat and stress of Conakry as he arranged wood, iron, wheelbarrows and cement to be transported by boat over the following days. A dream starts to take shape! We watched each and every step with excitement that week.
Two boats arrived the first day with what seemed an endless amount of supplies being loaded onto the worker’s heads. Load after load of 50k sacks of cement were put on the heads of shirtless guys with muscles that could put washboards out of business in Africa. In just flip-flops they balanced through the muddy shores and climbed the bank, making a chain like ants across the island to our tropical paradise.
While the material was being hauled, the builder was busy taking measurements, making notes, clearing the land of bush and trees. Each day we were greeted either with respectful handshakes from the workers, and/or Kees being called “patron” or “master” and me “Madame”. Each time we visited, the frame was becoming more and more of a reality as we watched them cut out entire boulders, pour cement and build wooden boxes for the pillars. Sweat poured off chocolate skin in the heat of the day. With shirts wrapped around their heads, muscles shined with the gleam of their sweat. Though at times it felt a bit weird being the “Madame”, for reasons I don’t think I need to explain, I know that realistically they are more than capable of this hard, physical labour and I had to think of the sherpas in Nepal. They must be thrilled to have secure employment for the next two months.
The boss builder was funny when we arrived, he’d yell at the guys taking a break in the shade of the palms, anxious for us to see them in action. I did feel bad if they had just sat down for a breather.
I kept thinking of Mom and how much she would have loved to join us on this trip. Last year when Kees tried to go to Guinea, he insisted it wouldn’t be worth it for her to come because it wasn’t a “holiday” trip. Next time she HAS to go because I know she will love it. In the shade of the palms down the slope from our small construction site, the temperature was purely perfect with a slight breeze coming in from the ocean, birds singing overhead and the workers picking fresh mangoes and coconuts for us from our own trees! Kees was right that it wasn’t a relaxing holiday, it was so much more. It was a trip that had all my senses screaming at me, fighting for the next note to be written. Though sometimes I was sunburnt, felt exhausted, and had to shower with cold bucket water after hours of dust sticking to my sweaty skin, I experienced something new and wouldn’t trade that for anything. What is more beautiful on this earth than watching a dream become a reality?
I even started to insist that I would stay on Kassa and watch the entire building process. Though, even if I was serious he would never let me because, “What would I tell your mom? I left you here in Africa? Ya, right!” And he’d made it quite clear I had no choice when I tested, “but I could stay if I REALLY wanted.” “No you couldn’t.” “Why not?!” “Because of these,” He said, flashing his bicep. “LOL. Okay, okay, you win.”
I feel privileged to have been part of this and to see the start of such a project. We could never have done any of this without the help of Keita who spent days running around arranging everything. It was so exciting to see the progress each day. I love the atmosphere of our “Little Holland”, which the locals have started referring it to as. What started as a fun little idea has turned into a big project that I think, with time, could be a hot spot for backpackers. We envision round huts, palm leaf walled toilets where you can gaze at the stars while you shower, suspension bridges crossing between trees, torch lit pathways to individual huts and a small but lively bar. A little getaway to the tropics with a special atmosphere. Whatever happens though, we know we at least have a house being built for us that we will definitely be able to enjoy. Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought I’d have a topical holiday home in Guinea let alone AFRICA. Life continues to surprise me. I know I have already and can NOT wait to see how Kees’ 15 minute drawing looks in REAL life, overlooking that big, sparkly ocean...
Take the step forward, follow that dream ! Savannah
Don't Lose Sight
You can find this story on http://www.watkinstravel.blogspot.nl/ to read with photos.
Don't Lose Sight:
Author Note: Kees is pronounced Case, rhymes with race.
It’s extremely important that awareness is brought towards the suffering of those less fortunate and to try in every way possible to help those in need. But it’s easy to confuse the main stream media coverage of hunger crisis with the average African population. There are 54 countries in Africa and I don’t feel it is one giant continent of fear, misery or suffering. Within the 37 African countries I’ve visited, the majority of people were friendly, hospitable and joked amongst each other.
Honestly, there are parts of their lives that I am jealous of, one of the main things being their huge families and respect for elders. Everyone has a hundred friends in the street, they know their neighbours and trust their community to protect them. Not once have I felt threatened or unsafe walking the streets in the day or at night. I feel less protected with my cellphone and “911” in Europe than I do with all the women and children outside running around, drinking tea, playing board games and sharing meals at night here. Kieta fled his African homeland with the preconceived notion that he was going to “the land of wealth and happiness” but instead found bitter cold; the hospitality and warm friendship he was used to was suddenly gone. Once our houses are built, I don’t doubt for a second that he will be moving back to Africa.
Traveling has taught me that we do not need all of those materialistic things we think are so important. As long as the essentials are provided, people are more than capable of finding happiness in simplicity. People’s opinions of themselves are often mirrored by what others say and think about them, which is why it’s hard not to compete in a materialistic world.
Competing with our families to be bigger and better should never happen. We should be helping each other up and standing together; we already have way more than we need. As far as I’m concerned, that is a fact. I know it’s unrealistic to expect people to suddenly downgrade their houses, flush their iPhones and sell their cars, but if there is just one message I can get across it’s to look at what you do have and at least be grateful. Don’t take for granted or lose touch with what is truly important in your life.
It’s impossible to be grateful 24/7 (unless you’re Mom, of course) and I constantly struggle with it, perhaps because I, of all people, should know better. I’m guilty of getting caught up in this circle again and losing sight of what's truly important. This life has been a gift for me and to forget that would be an insult. I strive to be better and try to remember how it is when living a simpler life, especially after a trip like this.
Savannah Grace
Don't Lose Sight:
Author Note: Kees is pronounced Case, rhymes with race.
It’s extremely important that awareness is brought towards the suffering of those less fortunate and to try in every way possible to help those in need. But it’s easy to confuse the main stream media coverage of hunger crisis with the average African population. There are 54 countries in Africa and I don’t feel it is one giant continent of fear, misery or suffering. Within the 37 African countries I’ve visited, the majority of people were friendly, hospitable and joked amongst each other.
Honestly, there are parts of their lives that I am jealous of, one of the main things being their huge families and respect for elders. Everyone has a hundred friends in the street, they know their neighbours and trust their community to protect them. Not once have I felt threatened or unsafe walking the streets in the day or at night. I feel less protected with my cellphone and “911” in Europe than I do with all the women and children outside running around, drinking tea, playing board games and sharing meals at night here. Kieta fled his African homeland with the preconceived notion that he was going to “the land of wealth and happiness” but instead found bitter cold; the hospitality and warm friendship he was used to was suddenly gone. Once our houses are built, I don’t doubt for a second that he will be moving back to Africa.
Traveling has taught me that we do not need all of those materialistic things we think are so important. As long as the essentials are provided, people are more than capable of finding happiness in simplicity. People’s opinions of themselves are often mirrored by what others say and think about them, which is why it’s hard not to compete in a materialistic world.
Competing with our families to be bigger and better should never happen. We should be helping each other up and standing together; we already have way more than we need. As far as I’m concerned, that is a fact. I know it’s unrealistic to expect people to suddenly downgrade their houses, flush their iPhones and sell their cars, but if there is just one message I can get across it’s to look at what you do have and at least be grateful. Don’t take for granted or lose touch with what is truly important in your life.
It’s impossible to be grateful 24/7 (unless you’re Mom, of course) and I constantly struggle with it, perhaps because I, of all people, should know better. I’m guilty of getting caught up in this circle again and losing sight of what's truly important. This life has been a gift for me and to forget that would be an insult. I strive to be better and try to remember how it is when living a simpler life, especially after a trip like this.
Savannah Grace
Guinea, West Africa
To read this with PHOTOS please visit www.watkinstravel.blogspot.com
Author Note: Kees is pronounced Case.
I just want to start off by saying a few things. My travel memoir, “Sihpromatum – I Grew My Boobs in China” is now on sale for 99cent until April 15th on both Kobo and Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Sihpromatum-Gre...
Dad had a minor stroke last week so life has been a bit hectic and I’ve been sensing some melancholy around here lately. Having said this, writing this piece brought me to a much happier place and was like taking in a refreshing gulp of air.
Carrying on from my latest posts; Conakry, our building project and seeing that cow get slaughtered…....
We decided after a few days in Conakry, that we would move over to Kassa, escape the bustling capital city and stay in one of two small “resort/hotels” available and enjoy the peacefulness of our West African island. Kassa immediately felt like home.
I was actually pleasantly surprised when I found out we had a bathroom in our own room instead of complaining that the water was cold, the electricity only came on at 7pm and the shower was clogged and flooding. All that was important was the possibility of having such luxuries available; we were thrilled to once again have running water, a flushing toilet and electricity! Finding happiness in the simplicity of things we do daily without notice at home is what makes it so wonderful.
We spent our days waking up to the sound of birds chirping and soft waves stirring the sand right outside our hut. We’d throw the door open, jump back in bed and just watch the glistening ocean. With the place to ourselves we felt comfortable lying beneath white sheets in each other’s arms, dreaming to the soothing sounds of nature
Love was in the air, even the perky weaver birds were flirting, busy impressing each other and making nests in the palm trees. Is there possibly a better way to wake up to the world?
Restfully woken, we’d saunter over to the open restaurant patio overlooking the ocean, again with the place all to ourselves. We ate stale bread with coffee for breakfast on the balcony, with the perfect amount of refreshing wind blowing in. Leaning over the Ipad we’d play a competitive game of Monopoly.
“Sweet your throats better, isn’t it,’ I said matter-of-fact one morning, inquiring about the sore throat he’d brought on the trip.
“Yes!” he said, sounding surprised. “How'd you know?!?”
“Cause I have it.”
“No! Really?!?”
“Ya, and I was so careful too!”
Thinking I was so clever I’d suggested using separate water bottles on the trip.
Kees suddenly laughed and said, “Sweet, you were so careful with your water but then promptly insisted I use your toothbrush. ‘Here sweet, just use mine!’” he impersonated.
“Oh my GOSH! What a retard.” I can’t even believe myself sometimes.
Aside from the sore throat Kees brought with him from Holland we really didn’t get sick. We stopped taking our malaria pills halfway through the trip because they made us feel yucky and there were absolutely no signs of mosquitoes or any bugs at that! Just leave it to Kees, Mr. Perfect, to find a tropical island with absolutely no bothersome insects! There were no ants crawling into our hut to eat our food, no flies landing on our plates and no cockroaches sitting on our toothbrushes, it was amazing.
Some days we’d go exploring down the main dirt road of the island to visit our new neighbours in the nearby villages. Another time we walked along the coast, up and over rocks from beach to beach, not a single soul in sight.
Unfortunately on the side of the beach that faces the capital city, there is a lot of trash that has floated over and landed on the shores of Kassa, fortunately our side is still seemingly untouched and beautiful. This was a really romantic escapade, with a single 2L bottle of water in our hands, forget not sharing! The climb over the passages of rock was difficult for me but the coarse red rocks, against green palms, white sands and blue sky made it all worth it.
While we stopped to take a break I came across a palm tree growing on an angle and decided it was the perfect opportunity to impress Kees and prove that I am indeed the same little Mowgli girl he picked up in Africa five years earlier. Stripping down and cracking my knuckles I was off and climbing. On all fours, gripping that tree like a gangly monkey, I realized about halfway up how unbelievably terrified I am of heights, (I must add that to the 1,000 other things I’m afraid of) and decided I desperately needed to bear hug this tree.
So now, stuck halfway up this tree I was screaming, “Oh my gosh, sweet! It’s falling. The tree is falling. I’m so scared. I can’t go any further. How am I going to get back down?!”
I know it sounds pathetic but in my mind the ground was starting to shift and spin, and I really don’t know whether or not the tree was about to fall, but in my mind it was already in mid-fall.
“Oh c’mon Savann, you can do it. You’re a little Mowgli girl. All Mowgli girls can climb palm trees.”
He was right! Of course I could climb this dang thing. I really did not want to and I was dizzy and shaky but I was so determined to impress that darn guy standing what felt a million miles below laughing at me. So, rather than descending I continued to inch my way up until I reached the top! And just for good measure, I made a few book advertisements.
“Sihpromatum – I Grew My Boobs in China”
On the way back down I realized just how sharp and rough palm tree bark is. Shimmying down backwards on bare legs, belly and arms is a painful experience but apparently proves to be good entertainment for whoever you’re with. *grumble*
On days that we weren’t on an adventure we’d sit either on the beach outside our hut or at the restaurant working on our computers, the owners black lab keeping us company. I think I love just sitting under a palm with the perfect wind and temperature in the shade working on my book. I truly love my “office on the move”.
Late nights consisted of crab hunting on the beach strewn with hundreds of crab holes. Arm in arm, stumbling in the sand, with only a small flashlight and moonlight to guide us, we attempted to catch them off guard.
It didn’t always work out because, despite trying to sneak past him, the owner’s black lab would always join us on our hunt and go crazy scattering all the crabs, ruining any chance of a surprise attack.
One moonlit night coming back from our own property, we saw all the bats coming out. It was so exciting when we first realized they weren’t birds. I love that moment. There were lots of them all swarming around one big tree. I absolutely love bats, they are such special animals. The way they land upside down and crawl on the branches is so freaking cool. I love flying rodents with that badass reputation. There really is no better accessory to a full moon.
Coming back to our room the first night we discovered we had a little gecko friend.
When I caught the first one Kees said, “I can’t believe you caught it! How did you do that? I’ve never seen someone catch a gecko before. You really impress me.” But then he quickly decided that it was not my awesome skills but the fact that he was shining a flashlight in its face, thus making it confused.
The next morning while Kees was in the bathroom, I saw a really tiny little baby gecko and thought, “Hmph! Flashlight my butt. This should impress him.”
Within a couple minutes I had him, ready in my hands.
Finally, sincerely impressed, Kees admitted it was not the flashlight. “You are a true
Mowgli gecko catcher!”
Soooo a couple days later when I saw another one in our room I told Kees, “Look another one. Go get it. You can catch it! Catch it, catch it!”
Feeling confident now, he ran after the gecko, pushing furniture out of his way and pounced.
“Ooh no!!! Sweet! Its tail’s off n it's still wiggling. You see that? Oh noo. I feel so bad. Oh sweet, what did I do!!? Oh, I feel so terrible. I'm a gecko slayer.”
“You just karate chopped it in half?!”
“See, this is the reason I never tried to catch one before! I can catch it if I really want to… but I’m going to squish it!” In between moans of horror at what he just did I had to laugh. He was so devastated and horrified by himself that I’m sure he won’t be happy that I shared this story with you.
Luckily after a few minutes, the body part of the tiny gecko started to move. I was relieved he wasn’t dead but Kees was still moaning and crying about it. It was quite amazing how long the tail kept on wiggling about on the floor!
“Catch it. Catch it, she says! That was NOT good!!! I'm never catching a gecko again.”
And so, it was decided that I was the designated gecko catcher, and he will never again attempt such an act.
After consistently saying “Oh, just ONE more night,” our initial plan to stay 3-4 nights on Kassa gradually stretched into a full week!
Savannah
Ps. Don’t forget to get your copy of Sihpromatum for only 99CENTS on Amazon or Kobo! Limited time offer ends Monday April 15th.
http://www.amazon.com/Sihpromatum-Gre...
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Sihpro...
Author Note: Kees is pronounced Case.
I just want to start off by saying a few things. My travel memoir, “Sihpromatum – I Grew My Boobs in China” is now on sale for 99cent until April 15th on both Kobo and Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Sihpromatum-Gre...
Dad had a minor stroke last week so life has been a bit hectic and I’ve been sensing some melancholy around here lately. Having said this, writing this piece brought me to a much happier place and was like taking in a refreshing gulp of air.
Carrying on from my latest posts; Conakry, our building project and seeing that cow get slaughtered…....
We decided after a few days in Conakry, that we would move over to Kassa, escape the bustling capital city and stay in one of two small “resort/hotels” available and enjoy the peacefulness of our West African island. Kassa immediately felt like home.
I was actually pleasantly surprised when I found out we had a bathroom in our own room instead of complaining that the water was cold, the electricity only came on at 7pm and the shower was clogged and flooding. All that was important was the possibility of having such luxuries available; we were thrilled to once again have running water, a flushing toilet and electricity! Finding happiness in the simplicity of things we do daily without notice at home is what makes it so wonderful.
We spent our days waking up to the sound of birds chirping and soft waves stirring the sand right outside our hut. We’d throw the door open, jump back in bed and just watch the glistening ocean. With the place to ourselves we felt comfortable lying beneath white sheets in each other’s arms, dreaming to the soothing sounds of nature
Love was in the air, even the perky weaver birds were flirting, busy impressing each other and making nests in the palm trees. Is there possibly a better way to wake up to the world?
Restfully woken, we’d saunter over to the open restaurant patio overlooking the ocean, again with the place all to ourselves. We ate stale bread with coffee for breakfast on the balcony, with the perfect amount of refreshing wind blowing in. Leaning over the Ipad we’d play a competitive game of Monopoly.
“Sweet your throats better, isn’t it,’ I said matter-of-fact one morning, inquiring about the sore throat he’d brought on the trip.
“Yes!” he said, sounding surprised. “How'd you know?!?”
“Cause I have it.”
“No! Really?!?”
“Ya, and I was so careful too!”
Thinking I was so clever I’d suggested using separate water bottles on the trip.
Kees suddenly laughed and said, “Sweet, you were so careful with your water but then promptly insisted I use your toothbrush. ‘Here sweet, just use mine!’” he impersonated.
“Oh my GOSH! What a retard.” I can’t even believe myself sometimes.
Aside from the sore throat Kees brought with him from Holland we really didn’t get sick. We stopped taking our malaria pills halfway through the trip because they made us feel yucky and there were absolutely no signs of mosquitoes or any bugs at that! Just leave it to Kees, Mr. Perfect, to find a tropical island with absolutely no bothersome insects! There were no ants crawling into our hut to eat our food, no flies landing on our plates and no cockroaches sitting on our toothbrushes, it was amazing.
Some days we’d go exploring down the main dirt road of the island to visit our new neighbours in the nearby villages. Another time we walked along the coast, up and over rocks from beach to beach, not a single soul in sight.
Unfortunately on the side of the beach that faces the capital city, there is a lot of trash that has floated over and landed on the shores of Kassa, fortunately our side is still seemingly untouched and beautiful. This was a really romantic escapade, with a single 2L bottle of water in our hands, forget not sharing! The climb over the passages of rock was difficult for me but the coarse red rocks, against green palms, white sands and blue sky made it all worth it.
While we stopped to take a break I came across a palm tree growing on an angle and decided it was the perfect opportunity to impress Kees and prove that I am indeed the same little Mowgli girl he picked up in Africa five years earlier. Stripping down and cracking my knuckles I was off and climbing. On all fours, gripping that tree like a gangly monkey, I realized about halfway up how unbelievably terrified I am of heights, (I must add that to the 1,000 other things I’m afraid of) and decided I desperately needed to bear hug this tree.
So now, stuck halfway up this tree I was screaming, “Oh my gosh, sweet! It’s falling. The tree is falling. I’m so scared. I can’t go any further. How am I going to get back down?!”
I know it sounds pathetic but in my mind the ground was starting to shift and spin, and I really don’t know whether or not the tree was about to fall, but in my mind it was already in mid-fall.
“Oh c’mon Savann, you can do it. You’re a little Mowgli girl. All Mowgli girls can climb palm trees.”
He was right! Of course I could climb this dang thing. I really did not want to and I was dizzy and shaky but I was so determined to impress that darn guy standing what felt a million miles below laughing at me. So, rather than descending I continued to inch my way up until I reached the top! And just for good measure, I made a few book advertisements.
“Sihpromatum – I Grew My Boobs in China”
On the way back down I realized just how sharp and rough palm tree bark is. Shimmying down backwards on bare legs, belly and arms is a painful experience but apparently proves to be good entertainment for whoever you’re with. *grumble*
On days that we weren’t on an adventure we’d sit either on the beach outside our hut or at the restaurant working on our computers, the owners black lab keeping us company. I think I love just sitting under a palm with the perfect wind and temperature in the shade working on my book. I truly love my “office on the move”.
Late nights consisted of crab hunting on the beach strewn with hundreds of crab holes. Arm in arm, stumbling in the sand, with only a small flashlight and moonlight to guide us, we attempted to catch them off guard.
It didn’t always work out because, despite trying to sneak past him, the owner’s black lab would always join us on our hunt and go crazy scattering all the crabs, ruining any chance of a surprise attack.
One moonlit night coming back from our own property, we saw all the bats coming out. It was so exciting when we first realized they weren’t birds. I love that moment. There were lots of them all swarming around one big tree. I absolutely love bats, they are such special animals. The way they land upside down and crawl on the branches is so freaking cool. I love flying rodents with that badass reputation. There really is no better accessory to a full moon.
Coming back to our room the first night we discovered we had a little gecko friend.
When I caught the first one Kees said, “I can’t believe you caught it! How did you do that? I’ve never seen someone catch a gecko before. You really impress me.” But then he quickly decided that it was not my awesome skills but the fact that he was shining a flashlight in its face, thus making it confused.
The next morning while Kees was in the bathroom, I saw a really tiny little baby gecko and thought, “Hmph! Flashlight my butt. This should impress him.”
Within a couple minutes I had him, ready in my hands.
Finally, sincerely impressed, Kees admitted it was not the flashlight. “You are a true
Mowgli gecko catcher!”
Soooo a couple days later when I saw another one in our room I told Kees, “Look another one. Go get it. You can catch it! Catch it, catch it!”
Feeling confident now, he ran after the gecko, pushing furniture out of his way and pounced.
“Ooh no!!! Sweet! Its tail’s off n it's still wiggling. You see that? Oh noo. I feel so bad. Oh sweet, what did I do!!? Oh, I feel so terrible. I'm a gecko slayer.”
“You just karate chopped it in half?!”
“See, this is the reason I never tried to catch one before! I can catch it if I really want to… but I’m going to squish it!” In between moans of horror at what he just did I had to laugh. He was so devastated and horrified by himself that I’m sure he won’t be happy that I shared this story with you.
Luckily after a few minutes, the body part of the tiny gecko started to move. I was relieved he wasn’t dead but Kees was still moaning and crying about it. It was quite amazing how long the tail kept on wiggling about on the floor!
“Catch it. Catch it, she says! That was NOT good!!! I'm never catching a gecko again.”
And so, it was decided that I was the designated gecko catcher, and he will never again attempt such an act.
After consistently saying “Oh, just ONE more night,” our initial plan to stay 3-4 nights on Kassa gradually stretched into a full week!
Savannah
Ps. Don’t forget to get your copy of Sihpromatum for only 99CENTS on Amazon or Kobo! Limited time offer ends Monday April 15th.
http://www.amazon.com/Sihpromatum-Gre...
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Sihpro...
