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Each time I thought about it, I almost always convinced myself to pinch my arm, it seemed all too surreal, seated there by a massive wing of the aircraft, alone, with tears continually kissing my cheek, my dream had caught a breathe and was becoming a reality. I had always wanted to travel, but it always looked too bleak, so far-fetched, yet here I was, a leap into the path never trodden, the unknown; it was the first time I ever went anywhere, that far by myself so it would make sense why I sobbed at the happiest moment of my life! That a little girl from a tiny village in Lesotho would soar that high, still warms my heart. She soared high and so did her expectations and fears, leaving no room for disappointments except one for growth and adventure. In the aircraft as we journeyed, my heart was a battleground, with a sense of adventure warring to break the shackles of fear that would not be tamed, at the moment I hardly ever held a conversation in English, I was confident in written language, but to maintain a conversation was all so foreign to me, so yes, war had to be raged, and adventure was supposed to win. I found myself moving from 'Wateerrrr, please' to 'I would like to know what else you are serving' as the flight attendants passed by. I was soon to realize; fear will only let you see the walls of the prison it held you in, and that room of fear sees no light of day in a life of an adventurer. So I was ready for the Philippines, tears were dried, fears relinquished, excitement seemed to be the oxygen my body was thriving from. I stepped into the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, greeted by the words ‘Mabuhay’ which I assumed was ‘welcome’ but I was soon to learn this word was deeper than that, I learned the word literally meant live. The humid and warm air brushing my face outside the airport seemed to be in agreement, it was different from the Lesotho cool breeze I was accustomed to. My eyes met faces that had a sincere interest in the kinks of my Afro and my people’s way of living, I loved their lumpia, mesmerized by their jeepneys, the tall buildings around Manila and their reluctance to leave for home at sunset. Maybe the unknown just encourages us to un-know the learned to know the unknown.