Namibia: The country that changed my outlook on life written by Mary Meier.
Namibia: Far from everyday life
Most people probably know it. Day in and day out, you show up for the same job, see the same colleagues and don't really experience the big changes in everyday life.
There is, of course, the obligatory 5-6 week holiday, where a charter holiday, a skiing holiday and a Christmas holiday at the grandparents' home are usually planned.
I kind of hope that all those who have experienced this - or still do - have finally made the decision to stop wasting their lives. I did that.
Travel to Namibia
In Namibia, like the rest of southernmost Africa, they have summer when we have winter and vice versa. You will find the cheapest tickets outside the high season, which is from December to January, and many connections go via Johannesburg in South Africa. Try your hand at e.g Momondo and see how it suits you best.
Namibia was one of the first countries I traveled to, which according to my parents and friends was too far away to travel alone as a woman.
I actually had no idea what to expect after booking the trip. The only thing I knew was that I would be picked up at the airport and then driven directly into nature to take part in a three-day camping trip in the Etosha National Park.
Unique and personal camping in Namibia
At no time was there access to the internet, so those at home had no idea if I had landed safely. However, I must admit that it was the most liberating trip I have ever been on.
When you land at the airport in Namibia, you immediately feel that the world is completely turned upside down compared to back home. For some reason I felt that I could trust those I met along the way. And yes, of course the driver who picked me up at the airport really wanted my phone number.
But despite this episode, at no point did I feel unsafe.
The group on the camping trip consisted of three travelers, a driver and a cook. This meant that we got an extremely personal experience and that the trip was largely tailored to our needs.
At the same time, I got the opportunity to completely get away from everyday life and have time to think about life and existence.
Changed life picture
The trip to the national park was followed by voluntary work at the farm Harnas, where the daily life consisted of feeding everything from turtles to cheetahs and lions and ensuring that their existence was as natural as possible.
Harnas has taken care of a lot of injured animals and has helped to get them used to coming back into the wild again. A really cool project!
After spending about 6 weeks in beautiful Namibia, my outlook on life has changed tremendously. While it is by no means surprising that visiting the other side of the world is something of a culture shock, it has been impressive what this cultural difference can teach one in such a short time.
Among other things, I learned how indifferent one can become to the materialistic everyday life we are used to here at home. In reality, I believe that you are much happier if your focus shifts from what you own to who you are personally.
It's also probably the only time I fell in love with a person without knowing anything about what they owned at home or had achieved in their life besides having an amazingly good heart.
Seeing the everyday lives of lions, cheetahs and leopards gives you an insight into the different strengths and weaknesses each one has. The cheetah is possibly the fastest animal in the world, while the leopard is physically much stronger.
You may be bad at one thing in life, but this does not mean you are bad at everything.
When you live at home in Denmark, where one's everyday life is primarily about making money in order to, among other things, buy things that show prestige, there is nothing better than having a break and seeing what the world really looks like.
For me it happened in Namibia.
Experiences that make Namibia something very special
If one day you feel like traveling to Namibia, there are five places that you should definitely see and experience.
Etosha National Park, where there is ample opportunity to see 'The Big 5' and fall asleep to the roar of lions in the evening, while looking at the stars in the Milky Way. If you want to see wild animals in Namibia this is the place.
In the Kalahari, you will find red sand dunes in abundance under a blue sky with plenty of opportunities to see wild lions as well. Kalahari means 'The Great Thirst', which is a pretty good description of the desert.
The Sossusvlei desert is somewhat reminiscent of the Kalahari, where you will find red sand dunes here and have the opportunity to enjoy the view in a hot air balloon and look for animals that you cannot find at home.
Close to Swakopmund – one of the coastal towns in Namibia – you will find the Skeleton Coast. Here there is plenty of opportunity to be active and try sand boarding or parachuting.
In the town of Swakopmund in the western part of Namibia, you will see examples of architecture dating back to the time when it was a German colony.
In the meeting with Namibia, I opened my eyes in earnest when I was 19 years old and traveled to Africa. Every single day forever, I remember all the things I learned down there. This has inspired me to continue to travel as often as possible, which I have done for several years now and always prioritize.
Good trip to Namibia and southern Africa.
Here are 5 places you must experience in Namibia
- Etosha National Park
- Kalahari
- Sossusvlei
- Skeleton Coast
- Swakopmund
Did you know: Here are the 7 best food cities in the world according to Tripadvisor's millions of users
7: Barcelona in Spain
6: New Delhi in India
Get numbers 1-5 immediately by signing up for the newsletter, and look in the welcome email:
Add comment