World News

Hello!!

I'm back!!

Did you miss me?

Well okay to be honest I don't really care because I missed me. I missed this whole writing thing. It's been basically a year since I've last written and my goodness.

Stuff has...

Happened.

Stuff which I will not get into.

Fine fine fine just a bit:

• I changed jobs
• I moved countries 
• I lost important people and Frizz 

So it's safe to say that I lost myself a bit throughout everything that has been going on. Which is also why I hadn't been writing. Everything sounded fake. 

I decided to (and hold for the cliché here) to take back my life. 

Why yes, I did cringe writing that.

So I did what I did best.

I travelled.

I went to The Gambia y'all!! 

It was my first time in Africa and my fifth continent. 

Why The Gambia you ask?

Well, my parents (and keep the following in mind) who were concerned about me going to Berlin on my own, suggested it. 

So The Gambia it was.

I immediately started doing research and packing. I only had two weeks to go and I was already way behind.


Yes. I pack far too much in advance. So what. It soothes me.

Anyway, turns out that The Gambia has some unfriendly mosquitos. Fun fact: these unfriendly mosquitos require vaccines.

Fun.

Oh. The best part was that apparently these vaccines have an incubation period (is that the right word?) of 10 days. I had my appointment scheduled for the 3rd of January. And I was leaving the 7th. Several, and I really do mean several, medical officials pointed out that fact to me oh so kindly.

AND that one vaccine ended up being three.

While going to Gambia I though might as well also go to Senegal.

So I booked a 'safari' trip on a reserve in Senegal.

***********************************************

The TUI flight was to leave at 6am, which meant my wonderful father would take me to the airport to be there at 4am.

It was a short 5.5 hour flight. Everything went extremely smoothly. And that's not even sarcasm. It genuinely went well.

You know even they currency exchange people were extremely fair? But extremely?

I didn't really do much that first day. I walked along the beach, but quickly realized that walking alone along the beach was not going to be an option. I'll get to that later.

The next day I was up bright and early for a 6.30 pick up to go on safari!

So we pick up the rest of the crew and head to Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, to take the ferry to Barra to get to the Senegalese border.



Okay so it was a trek. We get on the ferry only to discover that we cannot actually leave because, well, a bus was stuck. A bus that already went back and forth on the ferry trip. Twice.

It took them two hours to get the bus off the ferry.

...We saw that bus in the same position 8 hours later upon our return.

While we were on the ferry, there was a man collecting rubbish going around saying "come on guys lets keep this place clean, let's make it like America."

...

Right anyway.



Once we're in the reserve the guide prepares us for the fact that we may not see giraffes or rhino as they tend to be shy and skittish.

Within the first 10 minutes of our drive we see the rhino. Big John. That was his name. He lived up to the name.

Biggie!

We also saw zebra's, antilopes, an ostrich and little pumba's. Yes yes I know they're called warthogs, let me have this.

And then not even 20 minutes later we saw a herd of giraffes AND there were baby giraffes.

The guide told us this was the first time in months of doing this tour that he had seen all the animals.

I don't think I could have had a better day.

Oh. Except. I forgot to mention, despite being extremely prepared for mosquitos, and having put the repellent on every inch of myself, I apparently forgot my lips.

So naturally, I was stung. I woke up looking like I was a bar fight.

So I was reasonably exhausted the next day and took it easy by doing a 2 hour tour around Serrekunda market.

If you've ever been to India, it's like one of those huge markets where they sell quite literally everything under the sun.

I was too afraid of taking pictures so I took this one of chili's.

Some like it hot.

What can I say.


The next day was a 'me' day. I went to the beach at around 10am because I wanted to walk. Which I did. Kind of.

Remember when I said that walking alone was going to be a challenge? Well. Gambia is called 'The Smiling Coast of Africa' which the country definitely lives up to. Essentially what this means is, every single person will approach you and start a conversation. Not necessarily to sell you anything but literally just to talk.

I knew this going in to the walk. I had prepared myself. I had my headphones on and I walked in the sea because I figured they wouldn't want to get wet.

Yeah.

That did not help.

As I was walking many people walked up to me asking me how I was, what I was doing, what my name was (I was Maria for the time being, it's my middle name), and no matter how many times I tried to tell them thanks but no thanks, they just would not stop. I literally had to tell them "please respect me I want to walk alone."

Actually one guy who owned a beach bar started walking with me, he asked where I was staying and he said "oh so we're neighbors!"

Me: yup I guess so.

Him: yes, it's nice to walk with neighbors.

Me: yeah but I like walking alone.

Him: yes with neighbors you're never alone

Me:... yeah but I like being alone

Him: but with neighbors you can walk!

Me: ..............

He got the message.

I did end up walking for an hour and playing with 3 streetpups so all in all it was a good walk.

Poor pup was afraid of my polaroid camera

The next day the guide decided to take me around the monkey park and the Makasutu cultural forest.



So. Many. Monkeys.


I was also kind of scratched by one, but it's fine cause it didn't break the skin.... right?

Look at their little faces!! Okay so the goat wasn't a monkey but I couldn't leave him out.

At the forest we walked for what seemed to be hours. We ended up at a fortune teller who told me that I would end up working for myself and be my own boss. So if anyone has any ideas for me to start something, I'm all ears.

And then we had lunch.

Now, I'm emphasizing the fact that we had lunch.

BABOONS.

These creepy baboons swarmed us! And they are vicious beasts. Who apparently drink wine?

The last two days I realized I was exhausted so I did pool and easy walking days. I walked along the beach the last day, at 9am this time, and went shell hunting.

I saw a pufferfish! Okay it was dead but it was all poofed up! And there was another couple looking at it and I said "oh I don't think customs will let us take that along."

They didn't find it funny...

I took shells with me instead. Also, I'm not sure if I just broke the law or anything but don't tell anyone, kay?

And just like that my trip was over. We went to the airport and flew away.

Haha. I'm just kidding.

We ended up being delayed by 7 hours at the airport in Gambia because there was no fuel.

No no I'm not joking. There was actually no fuel at the airport.

So once the plane finally arrived and we were cleared to leave, the pilot kindly told us that we would be stopping in Dakar to refuel.

It's fine. We landed at 2.30am instead of 10pm the night before.

TUI, I'm looking forward to that 600 euro compensation!

So that was my trip.

I channeled my inner Toto.

A few days later I turned 26. And apparently I dreaded it so much that I ended up having some kind of stomach-flu the day of and throughout the weekend.

I guess that's just what it feels like to be older?

You know. It's been a tough couple of years and I'm working extremely hard on getting myself out of that mindset I was prior to my travels.

I'm still struggling. And that's okay.

I'm off to Switzerland this week to hopefully not break any bones. The fortune teller told me I'd never have any serious medical issues, so maybe I'm invincible.

Who knows.

Delhi

Delhi,

I need to say goodbye.

I feel as though I'm constantly saying 'bye' to you. 

But. 

Maybe that's just it. I can't say 'bye' because it will never be 'bye.'

You are a part of me. 

Granted, I am half Indian and thus, India as a whole will always be a part of me.

I know what people say. You're dangerous, you're dirty, you're this and you're that. Sure. Parts of you are all those things, but show me a country that doesn't have those things. 

Before you, I was incredibly naïve. I had this picture of my life and how it was going to be. Obviously, it didn't exactly work out that way. But that's not to say that my future hasn't been shaped for the better because of you. 

I don't necessarily know what I want. But I'm that one step closer to finding out what that is. And I have you to thank for that.

Over the course of the last six months I have travelled, worked, met incredible people and umpteen puppies, and turned 25. 

I was absolutely terrified being here. Of course, I had visited many times before and even spent six months as an exchange student two years ago. So you weren't exactly a foreigner to me. But this time was different.  

I think in the beginning I tried planning as many trips as I could the following months so that I didn't need to think of being 'alone.' I don't think I wanted to admit that I was actually having a tough time. I don't think I realized it myself. 

I think I was just trying to figure out my life at lightning speed and by planning all these events and trips in between helped me move along. Maybe I shouldn't have done that. Not that I regret all the adventures. Not at all. But, maybe I would have let myself settle and my 'anxiety' wouldn't result in sleepless nights. 

In September I started a new job. My first official job with a think-tank whose objective it is to clean up the Ganga river basin. I was Executive Outreach Officer. Essentially I spoke to embassies and international organizations to create a network and database of clean tech which we, together with the Indian government, could use to further our objective. I loved the work I did; to be in contact with all these different people, to learn about new technology and to see how these two could intertwine to make a difference, I felt like I was making a difference. That thought was only furthered after the summit we organized for which I was personally responsible for inviting more than 15 countries and their dignitaries. I was good. Delhi gave me the confidence and room to become that person. 

Last day of 3-day summit with 500 people

I owe a lot of my professional growth to the Director General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga. It's because of him and the people at the NMCG that I reached as far as I did. I was introduced to several different international organizations and opportunities I otherwise would not have had the chance to meet. I understand that the NMCG receives a lot of negative feedback, but honestly, they don't deserve it. I know I'm a bit biased in saying that, but they do work hard.

Despite this, I decided it was time to leave.

Being in Delhi, I had good times and bad. Diwali was bittersweet. We celebrated light(ness) but couldn't help but think of those who should have been there with us.

In December I visited Varanasi, one of the places I was trying to save. It was a bit surreal. This river is 2525km long.

Assi Ghat - Varanasi

Varanasi

G.O.A.T.

In January I became 25. As much as I dislike the number, I had a fantastic birthday;

I was in Pune. I sat by a pool. I ate cake. I was with happy people. 

I was happy.

Lucky Chops - go listen.

Pune

Of course, going to a concert the day after and the zoo the day after that made it all the more fantastic. 

And then February I spent a weekend in Bhubaneswar and a week in Lucknow with my grandfather. I wish that week could have slowed down. It all went too fast.

Now I'm back in Delhi. Writing this piece exactly 6 months after my last post. 

And all I can say is, thank you Delhi.

I don't know when I'll be back, so I won't say 'bye.' Knowing myself, I won't be gone for long. I can't seem to stay away for longer than three months at a time. I think it'll be longer than three months and my visit will be under different circumstances, I'm sure. But I'm coming back. Each time I try to say 'bye' I'm right back at that 1am arrival time in T3. 

Delhi, I think you're fantastic. 

Don't you dare let anyone ever tell you otherwise. 

I also have a special mention to these people:

Sonali, David, Jessica, Théo, Dona and Edouard. I don't know what I would have done without all of you. And thank you for my 'farewell' dinner, it was... interesting. Please keep updating me.

Cheers.