Actually, taking a month off to travel during work is really not easy. Many friends don’t understand why I would use up all my annual leave just to go all the way to Kenya. Whenever I tell my friends I’m going to Kenya, most of them just give me a puzzled look and immediately ask: “Why Kenya?” Only very few friends would say enviously, “Wow, I want to go too!”
The decision to go to Kenya was driven by two reasons. First, since childhood, I’ve been fascinated by the mysterious land of Africa and have always wanted to visit it at least once in my life. Second, I realized that as I gained more experience in the working world, I gradually lost the passion and longing for life. Work gives you a lot, but it also makes you start fearing loss... The life and ideals I’ve always wanted to pursue seem to have gradually been overshadowed by a comfortable and affluent lifestyle, making me become increasingly oblivious to what truly matters. I started feeling more and more like those backpackers I once admired.
Liking comfort and stability isn’t entirely a bad thing—it’s at least a sign of contentment, and not complaining or blaming life. However, a stable life also takes away your desire to explore the world, instills fear of adventure, and having too much comfort and affluence makes you start overthinking opportunity costs. These changes are what I dislike.
The Maasai people living in Kenya don’t like others taking random photos of them. But their small houses built with cow dung are indeed very appealing. According to the Maasai, these cow dung houses can last up to ten years, and every ten years, the entire village moves to another location. As a photography enthusiast, seeing this beautiful sight, I couldn’t help but sneak a photo using a 300mm telephoto lens. The Maasai love wearing colorful clothes, especially red. Taken outside the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
The trip to Kenya holds great significance for me—not just for the scenery, the Great Migration, or the life experiences. More importantly, I want to find the compass for my life’s journey through this trip. Everyone has a different ultimate destination, but along the long journey, some may be attracted by an oasis along the way, stay there for life, and forget the destination they once dreamed of. Others might discover gold mines and, in order to travel farther, decide to temporarily join the gold rush, initially just wanting to earn a bit more money before continuing. In the end, they strike a massive gold vein—the weight of the gold drags down their legs, leaving them unable to walk any further, and the shine of the gold also makes them forget where they originally wanted to go.
On the trip to Kenya, I hope to reawaken the dormant courage and passion for life within me.
Text and photos by Ah Niu
https://iamtravelers.wordpress.com