I'm 29 years old and I've taken many holidays in my lifetime...when I was growing up they consisted of running around endlessly, swimming, staying up later than usual and drinking loads of fizzy drinks! In my teens they consisted of more running around endlessly (this time after boys), staying up later then usual and drinking loads of fizzy drinks...In my early twenties they followed much the same routine, only this time the fizzy drinks were replaced with alcohol and most of my days were spent sleeping off the night before! The most recent of holidays have technically not been holiday's at all as I was always exhausted after returning from each one! It makes you wonder what the point of taking time out from a tiring job is if you only return just as tired, sometimes even more so! So, up until now I'm going to call all of those times "having fun" rather than "having a holiday".
Over the past 3 weeks I discovered the true meaning of taking a holiday, and the spiritual benefits of it! On the 5th February, accompanied by my husband Warren, we flew back to my roots - South Africa. I spent 25 years of my life here and I've been back for a holiday once already, so I wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary..catching up with old friends, visiting the in-laws and eating a lot was pretty much the itinerary for the trip and even though we did all these things, what also happened was a rejuvenation of my soul! I can only explain it as pure bliss! An inner peace that so many people spend hours meditating to experience...
The ocean has always captivated me and being near it really makes me feel whole. I never grew up near the ocean, I grew up inland and only visited the ocean on holidays, so this attraction I have towards it is slightly unexplained, maybe something for me to explore further? We spent 7 days of our trip here and as February is out of season, instead of the crowd of holiday makers and screaming kids, we were met with quiet empty beaches and glorious bird filled mornings! The sound of nature is enough to send anyone into a trance-like state!
One of Warren's favourite places is the "Kruger Park" - a place I would highly recommend to anyone visiting South Africa. We call it a game farm, here in Europe it's called a 'safari' but whatever name you give it, basically it's a piece of untouched earth where wild animals are free to roam and respected by humans! (in my opinion this is how it should be throughout the entire world). We were very lucky to see the big 5 (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo for those who are unfamiliar). The best part was seeing how many of these amazing animals had gorgeous, healthy babies! There was a stillness created around these amazing animals that can only be explained as majestical. These creatures thats sole purpose is to live the life they were designed to live on this earth. No destruction, no materialism, no competition to be the best, just pure living. It was an amazing experience and one I will hold with me for years to come. What could we all learn from these creatures? I guess my answer would be to find ways to live a life that is free from destruction and to have more respect for 'the order of things' the universe and nature, because we're all living on this earth together!
My advice to you is when you plan your next holiday, don't plan to go out and get drunk every night, don't go somewhere noisy where you won't have time with your thoughts, but go somewhere special, somewhere that has meaning and spend it with someone you love...It does wonders for the soul!
Jasmine
xx
No comments:
Post a Comment