I left the village of Nieu Bethesda after 3 nights there. This is the first time that I felt really sad about leaving a place, but it was because of my new friends that I had met in Somerset East. The lovely ladies took me under their wing and included me in their meals, their circle. I felt honoured and fascinated.
A bookstore owner and pet saviour; a pharmacist and people saviour and travel writer; a copywriter and guardian angel; and lastly a drama teacher and CANSA hair participant. A perfect group of people that I could not have cosmically ordered any better. I know I only scratched the surface of who they are and what they do, but the essence of them felt so familiar and comfortable. They are definitely in my future.
I learned as a very young girl, that saying goodbye was traumatic. Leaving Scotland at the age of 5, I remember my cousin running alongside the train waving goodbye. My gran and aunt returning to Scotland after a long visit to us here in South Africa also caused me pain. But I talked myself out of it with the young reasoning that they will return, and they did. So I learned a coping mechanism that helped take the sting out of goodbye.
My jobs involved patients being in my world for a short time. Then my TV productions job, reminded me of being in a circus- blowing in and out of town. Goodbyes became 'until we meet again' and that has truly helped me avoid the goodbye pain.
But today I felt it. Almost strangers that I was about to miss. Of course driving my car really helped. The scenery, horses, baboons, cows sheep, mountains, then... the unexpected songs that had been hiding on my playlist popped out on the great sound system. I cranked up the volume and sang
'But we're never gonna survive
unless
We get a little crazy...'
Seal- jou doring!
I drove into a very clean and quiet Colesburg and was delighted to see my lovely BnB. I even took a dip in the 'well'. I started looking at the week ahead, my last of this chapter of travel and started booking the next few days stay. Yup, staying in the moment.
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