Like scales falling from my eyes
The small town was buzzing! Victoria Falls, named after the famous waterfalls, was also well known as the adrenaline capital of Africa. With four main countries of southern Africa converging close to the point where the great Zambezi River plunges into the deep gorge below, it was a great opportunity for almost all safari groups, touring through Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia to visit these spectacular waterfalls. Lone backpackers and larger groups of young adventurers travelling together in big adapted trucks also flocked to this small town in the middle of a national park in search of wildlife encounters and adrenaline-pumping activities, especially river rafting, but also bungee jumping, gorge swinging and much more. In the 90-ies this was an adventurers paradise!
I had lived to Zimbabwe years before when I had worked at the University of Zimbabwe in the capital, Harare. So now, after travelling down from Morocco to Mozambique and re-entering Zimbabwe, it felt like coming home and I was looking for a way to stay again. But this time I didn’t want to work in the big city, I wanted to stay in the Victoria Falls area. I wanted to work in nature. So I wandered around the small town, feeling a bit lost as I could not find a way to a meaningful position in the bush. I no longer had a residence or work permit – a prerequisite for any company willing to take on a new employee, let alone train one. I had not worked in scientific research, so that was also out of the question. But as my time was ‘available’ and I spoke more European languages than only English, I got an unpaid, unofficial job as a translator on a safari. It was interesting and very educational.
But after a while I needed to return home to my family in Switzerland. Back home, I sort of dabbled around, putting off looking for a long-term job. I still felt lost, not knowing what to do with my future and how to move forward. But I was wasting my time and that was certainly not good either, so I thought further education could only help my situation. I enrolled on a French course in the beautiful Loire Valley in France. Improving my language skills could only be beneficial.
It was there, in France, that I had a profound change of perspective, in a place and from a person I least expected. During the lunch breaks, the class, made up of all kinds of nationalities, would flock to a nearby café. You know how it is… everyone wants to sit next to the guys and girls in the class who were the most vocal, seemed the most confident, showed the most charisma and displayed leadership qualities. We are like sheep.
On one particular lunch break, I was a little slow on getting my seat and I found myself sitting on the edge of the bench, next to a quiet young lad, incidentally also from Switzerland. At first I thought, ‘oh, what a bummer, what a bore!’ But as I naturally have compassion and respect for all people and, above all, manners, I made the best of the situation and started some ‘small talk’. Much to my surprise, this young man had also travelled to Africa and spent time in West Africa, so we actually had a lot in common and lots to talk about. How horrible I was to judge a person by their modest mannerisms, by their humble clothing or anything else really. That taught me a lesson!
As we talked, I opened up to him and told him about my situation in limbo. I talked about my desire to work in nature and confessed that I had a far-fetched dream of becoming a safari guide, something I usually never told anyone so as not to embarrass myself with my fantasies. But this young man – I can’t even remember his name – he didn’t laugh, he remained thoughtful. He asked me one question: “If you had a safari company, would you hire yourself?” Gosh, that was a shot out of the blue. I didn’t have to think long, my answer was a definite ‘YES’.
It was a profound realisation. It was as if the scales had just fallen from my eyes. I had so much of what it takes to be a safari guide. My knowledge, my character, my love and understanding of wildlife and my empathy for people – the safari guests.
My perception changed in an instant.
It gave me a complete different way of seeing myself.
It broadened my frame of mind and I could see the bigger picture.
With this new-found confidence, I set about writing application letters (emails) to safari companies. Two replied. Two offered me a job. I took the first one.
Two weeks later I was on a plane to Maun, Botswana, to join my new employer, a safari company specialising in overland and fly-in safaris to the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park and the Kalahari Desert. I was embarking on a new adventure into the unknown. And I felt in my bones that I was on the right path!
I am eternally grateful to this young man in France, who probably has no idea how he changed the course of my life – all in a matter of seconds.