The year of yes

by Megan Sello (South Africa)

A leap into the unknown South Africa

The year of yes I was greatly inspired by the New York best seller memoir, my year of yes: the journey by Shonda Rhimes when I embarked on my own journey and declared 2019 the year of yes. I had bodly scribbled the words "DO SOMETHING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE" amongst other things that i would have loved to achieve and it wasn't long til my wish was granted. I received an invitation to a river rafting experience, with the theme: confront your fears and at first glance of the invitation letter, I was happy to have declined, however both the thought of missing out on an afternoon besides the river bank and commitment to the list got the better of me. I had imagined my afternoon to be, what I could sum up as a glamorous affair. Dressed in black shorts, a sheer T-shirt revealing a bikini top paired with sandals and a good pair of sunglasses. soaking the afternoon sun watching the river water drift as I would occasionally pose for an Instagram worthy pictures to upload on my social networks. With a thought out plan to dip my feet in the river and cheer on those I thought to be brave to attempt such an extreme sport. On Saturday morning I found myself in the back of a van with a group of enthusiasts, driving to Haartebeest,North West Province in South Africa. After 40 minutes drive from Pretoria, we finally reached our destination, Broedesterom. Where the Crocodile River cuts through the rich vegetation of the Hartebeest gap and continues to flow through Limpopo Provinces to the Limpopo river. It had not occurred to me, until we stood at the river banks, that the river might have gotten it's name because it inhabits the large reptile, I wondered what were the odds of spotting one too. When everyone seemed like they have done river rafting before. I was trembling with fear for two reasons I am not a great swimmer and I am a firm believer that rivers are a holy place reserved for a selected few with an ancestral calling. Our guide Chippa had assured me that the water sport was safe even for those who couldn't swim as he handed me my safety gear, he also mentioned that in the years he has worked as a guide, he has never had an accident. That instantly put me at ease. I vividly remember how my partner, Pako Moretlwe and I swelled up with pride as we paddled through the first hurdle. I almost got up to dance when I remembered that my little stunt could put us at risk, it was unfortunate that there was no one to capture the moment, the first of many paddling for the next two hours. With no phone in hand, the experience demanded that we have a humane interaction. It was surprising to see how my world and that of many of us is consumed by these little gadgets we hold onto everyday. I've always considered myself as an introvert, and when I am out, I am always the awkward kid in the corner that is usually socially awkward, but there I was having a conversation with someone I had met in the morning, we talked about politics, music, entertainment and fashion as we pointed out things that caught our attention such as the birds, wildlife ( lizards)the tall grasses that now laid flat, the broken tree branches, that we later learned that it was because of the heavy rains that recently flooded the river. Suddenly documenting the moment on social media for likes had become the least of my worries needless to say, as we slowly approached our stop, Everyone was in panic looking for their phones,the anxiety to capture what was left of the experience had finally caught up with us. Prove that we are " if it isn't on social media, it didn't happen" generation. It is through this experience that I have learnt two things, I am not as introverted as I thought myself to be and rivers aren't only reserved for selected few. A concept so foreign to me, in an unfamiliar territory, yet I felt free.