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There was a time in my life when I spoke casually about the future.
“Maybe next year.”
“I’ll do that next time.”
“I’ll get back there someday.”
I still hear people say those things, and I understand exactly what they mean. But these days, I find myself hearing those words differently.
Not because I’m fearful.
Not because I’m pessimistic.
But because I’ve reached a season of life where I no longer assume every opportunity will come around again.
That awareness doesn’t make me anxious.
It makes me pay attention.
I felt that awareness throughout my recent journey through Southern Africa.
Returning to Johannesburg after so many years felt both familiar and new. Friends who had been part of my life decades ago were there to welcome me back. I drove through my old neighborhood to reconnect with the geography and memories that once shaped a chapter of my life.
Then, during one of my first meals, something unexpected happened.
I ordered King Clip, a local fish I used to eat often when I lived in South Africa more than thirty years ago.
One bite took me right back.
Not in a dramatic way. Quietly.
The taste immediately connected me to another version of myself, another season of life, another time when I could never have imagined the journey I would still be taking decades later.
Moments like that stayed with me throughout the trip.
In Namibia, I found myself riding through the dunes where the desert meets the Atlantic Ocean. I had experienced deserts before, but there was something breathtaking about seeing the vast sweep of sand meet the water. The colors, the scale, the movement of the landscape—it all felt extraordinary.
I was exhilarated.
And I was grateful.
Not just because I was there, but because I still wanted to be there.
I was pleased to discover that in my late seventies, I still feel a sense of wonder. I still want adventure. I still want to learn, explore, and say yes to experiences that stretch my perspective.
That realization wasn’t about proving anything.
It was about appreciating something.
I don’t take my physical ability, my curiosity, or my opportunities for granted.
Victoria Falls reminded me of that as well.
I had visited before, but this time felt completely different.
Perhaps it was because I was more present.
Years ago, I don’t know how fully I absorbed the experience. This time, I walked into the mist and let the water soak me completely. I stood long enough to see double rainbows stretching across the falls. I wasn’t rushing toward the next activity or trying to capture every moment.
I was simply there.
That may be one of the greatest gifts of this season of life.
I find myself looking more deeply.
Instead of judging experiences against what is familiar, I feel more interested in understanding them. Instead of comparing, I appreciate. Instead of rushing, I observe.
And perhaps that’s why this journey seemed to resonate with so many people who followed along.
Many of the messages I received weren’t really about Africa at all.
People responded to the joy they saw. The friendships. The laughter. The sense of adventure.
I think what they were seeing was something deeper.
Not fear of time passing.
Not urgency for urgency’s sake.
But an appreciation for the opportunities that are here now.
Because the truth is, none of us knows how many “next times” we will have.
That thought doesn’t make me sad.
It makes me grateful.
It reminds me to taste the King Clip.
To walk into the mist.
To spend the extra hour with old friends.
To say yes to the quad bike ride.
To pay attention.
Southern Africa didn’t teach me that lesson.
It simply reminded me of it.
And for that, I am grateful.
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