A community of believers

Before you go and think this is a religious post - be warned, it ain't! :)

You see, I've been hanging around the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Forum, a gathering place for the adventurous, the planning-adventurous, the traveller and the been-there-done-that. I've put my case to them: a single mom ready to pack up the kid and take on Darkest Africa alone. And found a community of believers - folk that say they believe I can pull this off!

I've found lots of answers to questions I felt were too silly to actually ASK someone without looking stooopid, and I've found a few more questions I didn't even think about. Like taking rocks, minerals and gemstones cross-border (one of the drawcards I'm using to persuade my kid this is gonna be a great trip - he can add to his collection!). And whether it's safe as a single woman. And what to do when a hyena steals meat off the grill over the fire - or when you wake up and mistake the water stand for a hyena... :) And where to camp, and what to see, and how to get there, and what it costs.

I've found women who have conquered fear (and a few men who have too). I've found families traversing the world. I've found a whole lot of folk sitting at day-jobs with itchy feet, desperately trying to fund that next trip into the wilds.

I've found folk who started a journey as angst-ridden teens, and came home grown up and mature, with a view of how the world works that could put many ordinary adults to shame. I've found road-schooled kids (you can't call them home-schooled, can you?), and kids who've picked up fluent Arabic while in Morocco for 2 years.

I've found ancient folk who chucked in life at 50 and are determined to travel until they die - they're 70 and still going strong. I've found stories to laugh at and stories to break your heart.

(I've found a new addiction to message boards...)

But most of all, this community of believers have given me faith in myself and a knowledge that my dreams are within my grasp - I just need to reach out and take them.