A Pretty Tourist: Introduction to the blog

I shall embark once more on a journey of ecstasy

I shall travel light, for I shall indeed need naught but who I am

I shall hold closely, I shall give freely, and I shall laugh every step of the way,

for I am a woman, wanting and willing, to give with my love as I may.

(An original poem by Miekie, titled Ecstasy)

It has been years since I've penned these words, which I came to regard as my life motto, and every day on this earth has been a small journey in itself. Yet, I have also been blessed to travel quite extensively both inside my country of birth, as well as outside its borders.

These travels have left me in awe of our planet and its inhabitants, be it human, or otherwise. I have taken thousands of photos and stored hundreds of memories. I have come away inspired by the arts and crafts of different cultures and have incorporated it into my own. I have been enthralled by the strange sounds of different dialects and different languages and I have written poems, stories and anecdotes in response. I have smelled the foods that others eat, exposed my taste buds to as many sensations as were possible, and made use of every opportunity to learn how to replicate the recipes at home.

My tutors, trainers and teachers have been ordinary folks who unassumingly went about their daily lives and patiently incorporated my curiosity into their tasks.

Not everyone has been as lucky as I have been and I have decided that it was time to share my memories, old and new, with you, my readers. With that in mind, I decided to start a brand new blog, devoted to my travel experiences. I want to introduce you to more than mere places. I wish to bring you people, smells, tastes, sounds and sights. I will talk about art, crafts, wildlife, nature, food, people, languages, politics, religion and every other aspect that makes up the sum total of what makes us living human beings on this great planet of ours. Diverse, yet the same, we are separated, yet united.

Let me take you on my journeys so you can free your mind, your soul and your body to take flight to new ideas, influences and destinations.

I will leave off with a few photos of places I've seen to wet your appetite, but not before I quickly share yet one more poem I've written, inspired by my travels, titled Crossing Borders To Go Home.

I heard the cattle call my name across the distant fields

‘Hommme, hommmme, hommme,’ they lowed,

giving me direction and telling me I belonged.

The sheep were next to bleat the promise

‘Baaack, baaaack, baaack.’ they said,

reminding me that I have strayed too far, too long.

Over my head, large birds swooped and swept, circling round,

diving down to take a closer look at this newcomer,

but finding only the familiar, they darted off again.

I had come home to a land I’ve never known,

yet it knew me, and somehow, I did know it,

and in its sun-drenched embrace, my heart finally found its place.