My journey back to my home country began with following the call of my heart, shown to me by the dearest person in my world, my grandad Ivor. Taking my grandma and I out to Mabalingwe reserve, Limpopo, we ventured out into the untamed wilderness to go on a safari.
To describe a fire igniting in my soul does not come close to the feeling of connection, emotion and joy roaring inside me whilst on this trip. I will always be grateful to my grandad, for organising the opportunity for me to spend as much time as possible in the bush. Walking with a ranger, we listened to the buzz of insects and birds whilst looking at the perfect heart shaped impala tracks on the rich earth.
An overwhelming feeling of gratitude for the natural world and for my grandparents fuelled my mission to return to South Africa to learn how to be a ranger. I planned to return in the same year to do the course and live with my grandparents. With enormous pain, my dear grandad Ivor passed away a month before I returned. My journey and joy for teaching and guiding is dedicated to him and his unwavering kindness to the world. Guiding, engaging and teaching in the bush is such a privilege and spreading the love of nature and creativity is my passion.