SURVIVAL 101

Each time I travel, I increasingly recognize what a privilege it is to be able to see the world through my own eyes. In today’s day and age, it often feels as though we are bombarded with the world views of others, and, at the same time, can still find it difficult to discern opinion from reality. Walking through Times Square in New York City this spring, I felt overwhelmed by the vastness of voices and small compared to the enormity of the world. In some ways, feeling small in this way can be discouraging, but there is also beauty in smallness, and hope in simply being an imperfect human compounding a perfect world.

Over the past two weeks, I have had a lot of time to think. On pre-dawn game rides through the untouched landscape of South Africa, I felt the comfort of a hot water bottle under three layers of clothing and the contrast of a biting wind against my face. The mission of these adventures was to find animals in their natural habitat and observe them. Many times, it took an hour to find what we did not even realize we were looking for. But even one journey of giraffes or crash of rhinos was gold at the bottom of the treasure chest.

Between each animal discovery, I experienced bouts of self-discovery. Truthfully, for all the traveling I have done, I had never before felt so integrally a part of nature. I saw the way that, at the core, all living things are the same: we vie for survival and comfort. Did you know a baby elephant is always placed in the middle of the herd when crossing a river for protection? Or, that the removal of a rhino’s horn is a conservation effort used to make it less valuable to poachers? Animals are incredibly smart — they do what is necessary for survival without ever disrupting the cyclical nature of the natural world.

Humans, however, are extremely complex beings. In essence, we are animalistic, we strive to outdo the competition. It is no wonder we are so insecure, contentious, and discontented. As most humans no longer have to work towards conventional survival, they tend to create new meanings for it. Each individual’s definition of survival will differ, but during nights listening to humming crickets under the veil of a thin mosquito net, I finally understood my own. For me, for a long time, survival has meant surviving in the minds of others. It has meant inserting myself so as not to feel lost in a sea of other, better, voices, bodies, and minds. Survival has meant always doing and never just being. I think for many, it means the same. Survival is no longer human against nature… it is human against human. Whether that means being smarter, fitter, or richer than someone else, it is easier to find success against other humans than it is to find it against ourselves.

Throughout, there was one question I pondered again and again. Each time I pulled out my camera only to realize the lion had changed positions or the rhino had put down its horn, I wondered: If no one could ever like, comment on, or see this moment, would I still want to experience it? Am I living to survive in the minds of others or to live in the life I get to call mine? Walking through the jungle of Botswana searching for leopard tracks is very different from walking through the concrete jungle of New York City. Still, in some ways, it is very much the same. When you witness hundreds of Cape buffalo feeding in the morning dew or stop still to look up at the night sky and see thousands of stars light years away, you still feel small. Now, though, it feels good to feel small. When we stop contending for a spot in the world, we discover that there is plenty of space for everyone. A hundred years ago, there were still buffalo roaming the Earth. A hundred years from now, there will still be stars in the sky. On the first day of our trip, our guide Susan told us of the power of manifestation. It is incredible how whispering the word lion makes an entire pride emerge from the curtain of trees as if on cue. The universe works in strange and mystical ways. It does not call for us to chase the things we think we need, but to attract the things we actually do.

However unbelievable it may seem, nature knows how to balance itself. Humans are meant to be imperfect. Learning from our wild ancestors, our only job is to survive. For most, there is an abundance of sunlight, and fresh food, and supportive people. So, while we may make mistakes or get caught up in the minutia of life, we must remember what really matters: allowing ourselves to just exist, and trusting that our existence is not contingent on that of anyone or anything else.

Happy Living

“I never lose. I either win or learn” -Nelson Mandela

SOME RESOURCES: (Click for the link)

Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust Clinic: Learn about conservation/rescue/rehabilitation efforts in South Africa and find out how you can contribute.

Mocha Choca Rula (Bush Coffee) Recipe: This is a recipe for a South African drink that warms your hands and heart after early morning game drives. It is a combination of hot chocolate and coffee with a little twist — definitely worth trying!