The adventure is never over.
I told a friend recently that "the adventure part of my trip is over." She laughed at me. "The adventure is never over," she said.
Of course, she is right. The adventure is never over. It just looks a little different.
I have been thinking a lot about this lately. September and October had me all over southern and western Africa. Those six weeks were full of experiences both wild and lovely, and I have many pictures and stories to show for it. But I was a little nervous about settling in one place come November. I thought maybe I would become bored or restless. I thought it meant the adventure was over.
The adventure is never over.
There is adventure in digging into the everyday life of a place and discovering the depths of it. This adventure is also filled with the wild and the lovely. But it's deeper, and it's more personal.
I have been in Ghana for over a month now. I am no longer nomadic, but I am plugged into a community of loving, caring, grateful, hardworking, wise, generous people. I do nothing out of obligation; every move I make is freely chosen, fueled by an eagerness to learn, participate, and contribute. I am not restless. I am not bored. I am constantly learning. Isn't that the whole point of traveling anyway? To experience something different? To be taught something new?
That's what it's all about for me at least. It feels good to slow down, to look inward, and to experience all that Ghana has to offer. I'm so happy to be here. I'm so glad I did this.