River Rafting and Resolutions

I spent Easter break floating down the Orange River, which forms the border between South Africa and Namibia. It was especially high that weekend for some reason, so the rapids were not much to speak of. The current, however, kept us moving for four beautiful, lazy days.

Me and Lydia, my paddling companion extraordinaire. She put up with my singing all they way down the river. Melissa, my roommate extraordinaire, is creepin over my right shoulder.

We spent every day on the river, and in the evenings we camped on the bank, watching stars like you wouldn't believe. We were on the trip with another group of American students from Stanford University, two of which are in a choir that primarily sings South African songs. They were interested in my Appalachian Studies obsession, so they taught me several songs in Xhosa and I sang them some ballads and taught them Bright Morning Stars (it was fitting, given the mountains and the spectacular sky).

 

View from my favorite campsite. 

We also did some hiking. Here's me and a plant that is literally older than Jesus. Not much to look at, but still pretty incredible. Note the tiny river below on the left. Also note my long-sleeved shirt. Yes, folks. I spent four days in an African desert and I did NOT get sunburned.

I was taken aback by how unpopulated everything was. The only people we saw for days were other groups of rafters. There was the occasional herd of goats or cows, but the scenery was primarily rocky, sandy mountains and tough-as-nails vegetation. We could even drink the river water. I'm sure there are stretches of the river where you can't do this, but we were able to go on a four day trip and not bring any drinking water with us. It was odd drinking orange water...but it tasted just fine. Places in the world like that are few and far between.

Over the past semester, I've had quite a few experiences that have made me realize what I need to prioritize in my life. This particular trip reminded me that I absolutely love being on the water and outside. I also realized I'm happiest when I'm singing with other people, either trading songs back and forth or teaching each other new ones. I already do that a lot at home, but I didn't realize just how much it meant to me until now. When I go home, I've resolved to kayak and camp whenever I get the chance, and to share and learn songs from as many people as possible.