For our last full day of our 10 day trip, my team and I traveled over to Zimbabwe to visit one of the seven wonders of the world Victoria falls.
Situated adjacent to Botswana in southern Africa lies the nation of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is renowned for having a rich cultural heritage. In addition, Zimbabwe is home to the famous Victoria Falls. The Victoria Falls are absolutely breathtaking. For an excellent reason, it is regarded as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The falls are located where Zambia and Zimbabwe meet. The cascading water's beauty and strength are just breathtaking. The mist that ascended from the falls provided such a wonderful atmosphere while we explored around them. After we finished touring the area, a few of my teammates and I decided to go abseiling down Victoria Falls in search of an adrenaline rush!
Prior to starting volleyball, I was an avid rock climber! So, abseiling (which is just sort of a reverse rock climbing) was something I was very excited to do. Three of my teammates and I made the decision to take on this challenge. Before we went down the falls, we of course had to have a photoshoot. The photographer took pictures and videos of us as we were preparing for the rappelling, moments before the rappelling, and right before we completed the course. We descended the falls in pairs, and effectively completing the abseiling required a great deal of patience and communication! I will always remember being only a few feet from the water and experiencing the falls in a manner that not many people get to. Though the views were breathtaking, nothing compared to our sense of success after facing our fears and abseiling down the world's largest waterfall.
Once our activity was completed, we got back in the car with our coach and headed to our other teammates' locations as they were finishing up eating and shopping. Several of my teammates purchased shirts, shorts, books, and figurines from the local market vendors. We returned to the hotel once everyone had completed their shopping. As soon as we got back everyone headed right to their rooms to take their naps. Following our much-needed sleep, we all got together for dinner, which was prepared for us by the hotel's chefs. After supper, a handful of my teammates and I had our faces painted in honor of Africa Day in Zimbabwe. The ideal conclusion to a perfect day!
Being able to take part in this life-changing trip has left me feeling incredibly thankful. Experiencing another country's culture and way of life firsthand in Botswana and Zimbabwe has changed my outlook on life and greatly enhanced it. It was not an easy trip, there were times where I had to face fears and accept my flaws. Though, I learned the importance of perseverance, humility, and the value of self-reflection. The lessons learned and the personal growth achieved have left an indelible mark on my soul, and I am very thankful for this opportunity to evolve and become a better version of myself.
