Week 12- Personal

Here it is…our very last week in Zambia. I really can’t believe that we have been here for 12 weeks. In one way it seems to have really flown but at the same time it feels like a lifetime ago that we boarded the plane at Dublin airport. I can honestly say I have enjoyed every single minute of my time here in Zambia and even through somewhat stressful and worrying times such as our experience at the immigration office, we managed to find a funny side to that and when we think back, it seems like it was only a minor hiccup along the way.

On Sunday afternoon, Ashleigh and I decided to be very spontaneous and take a trip to an acrobatics class with our friend Steve who is also staying a Jollyboys for a long period of time like us. We really didn’t know what we were letting ourselves in for but we reached our destination in one of the districts outside town where we went down a dirt track to a small school. The class was taken by an Australian man who has been teaching some of the local boys many technical moves such as black flips, handstands and headstands. Ashleigh and I were in for a shock when we were asked to participate, although I observed quite a few of the tricks since I thought I would probably end up breaking something. It was a really enjoyable afternoon and it was great mixing with the locals who made us feel very welcome.

Walking a cheetah

Tuesday morning was a very early start for us but it was well worth it as we had the opportunity to walk alongside lions and cheetahs in the bush. It was an amazing experience and the fact that I was walking these animals by the tail still makes me laugh, it was such a strange yet most enjoyable encounter. To add to our ‘list of things to do in Livingstone’, Ashleigh and I did a micro-light flight over the Zambezi river and Victoria Falls. It was absolutely incredible and allowed us to see what the falls actually look like since the previous times we have been to visit we’ve barely been able to see a thing because of the shocking amount of spray. At one point though I thought I was going to end up at the bottom of the Victoria Falls when we flew through the spray and the microlight encountered a bit of turbulence. Thankfully we made it through and I was able to continue to take in the magnificent views that this part of the world has to offer.

Microlight over Victoria Falls

All in all, I really have had the time of my life here in Zambia and I’m so thankful that I had the opportunity to come here to complete my semester as it has been an absolutely incredible experience from which I have gained so much. The four of us have gotten on so well, especially since not all of us knew each other very well before coming…now we are inseparable! There are so many things I thought I’d never do, I’ve overcome many a fear and all in all I feel like a much stronger, confident and independent person as a result. The friends we’ve made, the sights we’ve seen and every experience we’ve encountered will never be forgotten. There’s a quote by Ernest Hemingway painted on one of the walls at Jollboys which I walk past every day; ‘I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up that I was not happy’ (Jollyboys, 2013) and after my experience in Zambia I can well and truly agree with this!

With our Zambian friends Leonard and Golden