This is life my friends.
Usually I’m referring to life as feeling the wind in your hair while charging down the downhill you spent your day earning. Or to zip your tent open simply to let the world smack you in the face with another so-good-it’s-not-even-funny sunrise performance.
This is nothing like that. Still I’m feeling more alive than since I don’t even know when.
It’s Saturday. I don’t know what timezone would be appropriate to refer to, but it’s been long since I cared much about clocks anyways. I’m awkwardly posing as a rational human being today. Mirroring the people around me I’m zipping airport cappuccino while tapping away on my laptop. Apart from the fact that I (and the suit & briefcase-man sitting next to me) just caught myself blowing my nose in the sleeve of my shirt I think it’s working out alright.
I’m in Europe.
A few hours layover in Madrid marks my first breaths on my home continent in more than 2 years and I don’t think I’ve ever felt more out of place in my life. Not in a bad way. Neither in a good one. It is all just so incredibly weird. I’ve walked these very floors before. Still not. Today makes it very clear how I feel so endlessly disconnected from the person I was before this whole thing started. That girl who had seen – or more importantly felt – nothing.
Today though, this is no more than a passing thought. My whole being is occupied by something else entirely.
– I’m halfway to Togo. –
It’s happening. I’m Africa bound. What started as half a thought somewhere on a lazy day back in Mendoza is now materialising itself in reality. And I’m realising that my childish excitement didn’t necessarily need company by that double shot of caffeine. The onward flight ticket tucked into my passport seems incredibly overkill. The butterflies in my belly could easily have flown me to Africa themselves.
Today marks four continents down – one to go.
Can you believe it? I know I can’t.
As I still don’t know myself, I can’t exactly tell you what happens from here. The unknown factors are lined up like domino tiles and which one will fall first is as unclear as ever. At least getting to start Plan A would be neat though. Please keep your fingers crossed that I’ll be able to acquire a visa to Ghana in the next few days.
Or by all means, don’t.
Sometimes a little game of adventure domino is just what a girl needs.
After all. This is life my friends.
Until next time,
Fredrika
PS. Feeling so grateful to have you lovely people with me on this journey. It simply would’t be the same without you.