The Fashion of Exploring

Perhaps travelling is also about seeing the world and learning through people, with all their different thoughts, backgrounds and ideas. It is when you get to connect with another human being, and share something special, that you may say you have truly had travelled a good travelling experience.
Walking the inner city of Bloemfontein South Africa one year,I came across a beaded jewellery stall, with a dark man sitting behind a short table, already dangling a bronze earring for my face.
The sun was gentle and I had already forgotten about the city passing besides us. ‘Would you like to learn to make earrings?” He asked. I was completely immersed in the invitation of his art. “Yes!” I replied.
He pulled a paint bucket from under his table and I sat beside him, and saw the city looked much bigger and more pregnant with opportunity. I was excited about this because travelling is not only about the PLACES you go, it is also about the PEOPLE you meet, and the connection that you make with them.
He twisted and twirled the wire slowly, carefully placing beads and encouraging me to pick my own colours.
Learning from this man made me realise that different as we are, we are related under the skin. I learned from him, and we shared something – we were both in search of a little pleasure, inspiration and some fulfilment.
He pointed to a hardware store ahead of the active shopping complex, and said, “you will see a bead shop right opposite.”
At the store, I asked for thin wiring, and a set of red pliers. In the bead shop, I felt a happiness I had missed, and longed for. That night, I made my first pair of earrings. In no time, I had orders!
I have since been entrepreneurial. I have also since made the vow to treat travelling as a chance for exploration, as a chance to connect with people on a human level, and as a chance to make discoveries outside of my physical and literal comfort zone.