South Africa was a really fun place to be. Smiles everywhere… from the people and not just small smirks or blushes but bright, shining smiles that were pure joy!

For faces light up after years of oppression, death and sadness showed me that people were really blessed find a secret joy that made them feel alive and free. I would think after years of the suppression and oppression, that people would have loads of residue that would still exist- ten years after apartheid.

And they did.. there were several signs of poverty and the shantytowns I saw that were built from tin and had several holes in them that kept out light, but not the cold.

Yet these smiling faces never kept showing up .. they were inspiring, hopeful and helpful. Even to me. Many did not know it but at the height of one of the most life- changing trips of my life, I was going through an imminent divorce.

I was so encouraged despite it all. My life had taught me to reach for the skies, despite what others think or believe about you. And though the inevitable can occur when you feel lost you can keep using this force and pushing forward until life shifts for the best.

Traveling to South Africa Beas a dream come true. Literally. I dreamt about it before it happened. Being there felt like I had to ‘ pinch myself’. I kept wondering when I’d wake up. I knew I wasn’t dreaming anymore when I touched the hand of Bishop Desmond Tutu when I landed on the other side.

Don’t ever give up on yourself and your dreams. Dreams help you to flourish. They keep you motivated and give you hope. Keep in mind the stamina it takes to maintain the mindset of such good success. At times it may mean you choose life, so that you might experience the best experiences of your entire life.

Had I not leaped and believed for a blessed like this; I may not have come out encouraged and settled in my own skin. I may not have captured the memories that catapulted my destiny forward.

What a blessing to move in faith and let your faith guide your ability to maintain your peace.