NZ Lesson 5 – I am a traveller

Back in South Africa we used to say “the soil is in our blood”. Almost all Afrikaners have some connection with the land, either by farming or having friends that are farmers. Even in the cities you will find them making a little patch of vegetables. We smell the soil, we feel it in our fingers, it runs in our veins.

Soil used to give me a sense of belonging. I vividly remember the day when I bought my first house, signed the contract and put my hands in the ground to start upgrading and rebuilding. “Now I belong, I am a property owner, I can stand on my ground”, I thought.

I find myself in another country and understand something of what the faith heroes said “we are foreigners and refugees on earth.” As a matter of fact, we are travellers and nothing we have is permanent. Travel lite, because out there, there is more…