Just Be.

by Phila Mwelase (South Africa)

A leap into the unknown South Africa

I, the fussiest person I know, was going to be sleeping in a tent when fancy hotels were screaming my name. We called it Glam-ping to ease my mind. A much fancier term than plain old camping. We were going to do it in style. Thanks to Jodi, a scout turned city girl, we were in safe hands. She was the one who suggested we camp, an invitation to her world of serenity. We always joked about how she lived a double life. A pretty primary school teacher by day and a tomboy scout any time she was free to be her true self. Camping doesn’t kick off without a road trip to set the tone. Sarah had packed our supposed to be minimum luggage into the small grey Yaris. Her mystical green eyes filled with wanderlust. The Hibiscus coastline of the South Coast was gorgeous. The views felt like scenes out of a movie. A movie of slow love affairs, beach hangouts with friends and a few explorations. We jammed to some Regina Spector, Jack Johnson, and Matthew Mole. We had our sunglasses on and the wind running through our hair. Although I imagined movies never made before on the scenic route of Port Shepstone. It was Sarah who was California dreaming of a cheesy but cool life similar to that of a Taylor Swift music video. Southbroom had high trees and fresh air with the sound of the sea in the near distance. At the lodge, which was surrounded by sugarcane's, we were met by our host at reception who showed us the way around our temporary home. That home was a grassy open piece of land with bathrooms close by. That’s it. We had no roof over our heads and nowhere to unpack our heavy bags. Just a small piece of literal land for the Taylor Swift fan-girl, the mountain hiker, and then me, the disillusioned suburban girl who somehow convinced herself camping would be different if you gave it a fancier name. It was then that the hotel rooms called out my name once again. I couldn’t throw myself on a bed or sit on a couch just to rest a bit. Nope, I had to sit on a camp chair where the reality of what I had signed up for finally set in. Jodi was in her element, however, nailing each peg to the ground refusing our help when asked. She would bite her bottom lip as she worked. Eyes lit up from pure ecstasy. I decided to lighten up and see what she sees. And when I began looking around I realized, I was in a little paradise three hours away from home. Local destinations were the red desert about ten minutes away, a beach about five minutes away and a cute coffee shop with homemade food produced from a local farm. Pure bliss. It was when night crept in that I realized how tired I had been. Life had been so busy that I forgot to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. It was a walk around the property during the cool summer night when we discovered a trampoline. “Let’s go!” Jodi shouted excitedly and ran to bounce up and down with her cow "onesie" on. Sarah quickly followed, and I stood considering, is this how it all ends? The stars and the moon were my only witness. Grown women skyrocketing way into the sky only to land and be launched into the air once again. It was through hysterical laughter that my friends begged and pleaded I join them. I am not a Debbie Downer so I joined hesitantly. A sudden bout of childlike joy fell over me, it was then the adult mask fell off my face and I too was smiling from ear to ear. The part I loved most was lying on the trampoline covered in blankets in the silence of the night and listening to the moon speak about its glory. I loved how the trees whispered a beautiful truth; we are not alone in this world. When life gets the better of you, you can do what they do. Just be.