I guess we’ve all felt like this recently… the need for a change of scenery and routine. With lockdown feeling like a never ending spiral to nothing, Reg and I were lucky enough to be invited to what I believe is South Africa’s premier game reserve, Singita in the Sabie Sands.
Through my work I’ve flown on many airplanes and been through many airports but going through CT International and OR Tambo during this pandemic was a surreal experience. I don’t think I’ve ever seen either airport so devoid of people and activity.
After the strangeness of the airports it was such a welcome feeling to escape civilisation for the serenity of the bush. What a beautiful place!
The area had its first rainfall of the summer and everything was beautifully green and lush. We were especially lucky with our timing as the grass was not too long so as to block our view, the temperature was rising but comfortable and the animals were in good condition.
We had a super luxurious room, with our own swimming pool and our every want and whim catered for. What I enjoyed most were the small touches like a drawing set, should you feel inclined to capture the scenery around you.
There’s a saying that being in the bush unscrambles your brain because there are no straight lines in nature and I can certainly vouch for that. Although we were only there for 3 nights it felt like I’d had a 2 week holiday.
What was also extraordinary was the wildlife. Oblivious to covid and the impact it’s having on humanity, the animals carry on as normal, the circle of life moving to it’s own rhythm. It felt good to be surrounded by nature.
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments and places that take our breath away.”
I’m not a great photographer but I didn’t need to be – the animals posed and performed as if they were actors in a play. I felt truly blessed to be a witness to it all.
I strongly believe we need to connect with nature to ground us and make us better humans, kinder to each other and to our environment. I don’t necessarily mean you have to spend a fortune and go to a game reserve, it can be as simple as taking your shoes off and walking on the lawn, feeling the earth through your toes. Or taking the time to look properly at the plants around you, it’s amazing what you’ll see, small insects going about their life, doing their thing to keep life in sync.
We’re complex entities and sometimes we make life even more complicated but stopping to take a breath and appreciate the world around us makes life more manageable. I feel this is especially true now with uncertainty all around us.
Try it…
