One thing about your girl is I’ve been catching flights. Flights to places where I had to pack long sleeves and fuzzy socks—Africa!! That’s right. Peak heat in Texas is peak winter for those who reside in the southern region of the Big A.
Time for a little backstory. If you could not already tell by my name, I am, in fact, a proud African queen, with the essences of Malawi and Zimbabwe running all up in my veins. This summer, I spent nearly 2 months all over the southern region of Africa completing internships and spending time with family I’d only ever met on Skype (real ones know this was the og ‘Zoom’).
First things first, I knew that I would learn a lot about my family and its history, but I had no idea just how much I would learn about myself as an individual outside of my cultural background.
Who knew that flying across the world on your own for the first time to meet people you’ve never been close enough to hug could be so life-changing. I mean, maybe blame it on old men screaming in a language you have yet to grasp, failing to remind yourself that your back pocket is, in fact, not the safest place for your phone, navigating airports that seem to be built with no rhyme or reason, ordering food with no clue what is about to be served on that platter, figuring out what kind of knickknack you want to purchase to remind yourself of this exact moment, or saying goodbye to a new place that very quickly felt like home. All of these are proven scenarios in which no one can know how they will respond until they experience them firsthand. It is in these moments of chaos and/or confusion that one discovers the person that they are. Are you the kind to pick up a language fast? Have you just found your new favorite cuisine? Are you good with directions? So many discoveries about you and how you conduct yourself.
Though there were times during my adventures I wanted to click my heels together and scream, ‘there’s no place like home’, I would not take back my trip to the motherland for the world. You see, it was less about the location and more about who I realized myself to be.
I learned that I get real serious in the airport and can quickly turn into THE Miss Sha’Carri Richardson when I need to make that connecting flight. I learned that I can fit 2 months’ worth of accumulated clothes and snacks into two suitcases without surpassing the weight limit, and most importantly, I learned who I was without the influence of those who already know me. There’s something about being around people who only know the version of you that you are now showing them. In these times, you must choose to be you or be someone you believe these new people would love to be acquainted with.
The choice is yours, but me personally, I am glad I chose me because knowing that others also chose you (the real you) is something so beautiful and true.