Henry Ward Beecher - famous abolitionist and brother of author Harriet Beecher Stowe – once said “We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have travelled from the point where they started”. This would suggest that you will not become the best you can be after a journey, but it will change your outlook and people’s opinion of you. It is for this reason I composed this article – to describe an interesting and memorable journey!
The year was 2006 and I was 7 years old. I had never been to a foreign land; all my movements had been restricted to the UK. That was until my parents told me we were going on holiday to a country called Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone is a small country on the west coast of Africa. It is home to some of the most beautiful beaches and diverse jungles on Earth; despite its picturesque landscape, it was thoroughly ravaged by civil war between 1991 and 2002 (leaving many people dead and displaced). This article details my first journey to the land which holds my history in its soil.
I was only a small child; this was my first experience of a third world country, and the tropical climate added to the excitement. After having met my father and mother’s sides of the family, they welcomed me in with open arms; my cousins and I went on excursions and adventures each day. Whether it was in the bubbling town, or the silent countryside, we were just pleased to have each other’s company and it felt as if we had grown up together.
On one such adventure, there was a specific section of the jungle we came across which filled me with awe. I stepped onto the jungle floor, so soft beneath my sandals; as I walked further in, the longer blades of grass caressed my naked limbs, so gently that it made the hairs on them stand up. We stopped and listened intently to the breeze dancing and dashing through the leaves on the trees, like animate skyscrapers in a windy, jungle city. In the distance the mountains were peeking out of the clouds, majestic lions coming above the long grass, proud of their pride.
For me, the main reason why this journey was memorable is solely because it was my first experience of a place of that nature; this, therefore, has altered my perception of the world and has allowed me to analyse things in greater detail from a variety of points of view. However, I think a rule I will have for all journeys in life is: “Don’t try and control the journey, let the journey control you”.
Thank You,
Sengbe
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