THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE

It’s so important to embrace the spirit of adventure that is in all of us.

How often have you wanted to do something adventurous, for instance a trip to a deserted island or a trip down to the Antarctic, but you keep thinking this sort of thing is for other people. Believe me it’s not - ITS POSSIBLE - two words that I live by. ?It is possible for me and its possible for you too, all you need to do is make the decision and then go for it.

I have always had an adventurous spirit. I can remember as a child leaving home and going off into the then wild surrounds of my home in Mabelreign, Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare Zimbabwe). As young at 5 years old I would walk into the wildness that surrounded the area where we lived, which was?very rural in those days, and go off for a whole day on an adventure into the bush, all by myself, which needless to say put huge pressure on my parents to try and keep me within our yard. They actually had to put up a fence to keep me in!

When I completed my matric in 1967, I became engaged to be married the following year and its only when my mother happily told me that I was so lucky that my fiancé had a government job and I would have a good pension (believe me at 17 years old you don’t want to hear that) that I decided to “run-away” to the UK. So, I broke off my engagement and at the age of 19 had saved up enough money to pay my fare on the Pendennis Castle ship to England, where I arrived in Earls Court with only R50 to my name and not knowing a soul. Luckily, I found a distant aunt for a bit of moral support but that was it, my adventure into life had begun.

?I quickly got a job at the Nu Type secretarial bureau, never realising that my good friend and colleague Glenda Thompson who works with me to this day, also worked at the same bureau at the same time, all those years ago.

But I digress; the spirit of adventure was burning bright. I embarked on a Con Tiki tour (how many of you have done this, must be thousands as twenty odd years later both my children also did Con Tiki tours at different times). The Con Tiki is a fast-tracked tour of Europe where you literally spend a day or two in each country across Europe. It is mainly for 18–35-year-olds and its great fun. From then I hitch hiked (can you believe it) with a friend round the whole of Scandinavia and almost every other country that I could get to in a short space of time from my base in the UK.

At that time, in the height of the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Carnaby street in London. I became engaged to a Chinese man, much to the horror of my mother who insisted that I come home immediately. To this day I cannot believe that I actually did what she asked (children used to listen to their parents in those days.)

Home was Pietermaritzburg, which was very boring after the lights of London, so I promptly moved myself to Durban where I also didn’t know a soul but luckily managed to find a job at a local building society which had a massive staff, and my social life took a turn for the better.?

It was at this stage that I met Allan Hirsch , we married, had our children, started our?business and luckily in our industry, there were many incentive trips to different?countries?every single year.

As a?result, my thirst for adventure was never saturated as Panasonic took me to train in Japan, Samsung and LG took me to Korea, Smeg took me to?Italy, Bosch and AEG took me to Germany and there were so many other tours?that as a result?I have been to almost every country in the world.?

When our children were 10, we decided to tour America with them, and we?literally went from one side to the other and back again. We?saw as much as we could and had the?most memorable time in Disneyland, if you?haven’t taken your children or?grandchildren there - it’s a must!

?Through my work with African women empowerment,?I have also been to almost every African country (some are too dangerous - even for me)! I?absolutely love Africa, I always tell everyone?I am a true African, born in Zimbabwe, married in South Africa, and hoping to retire (one day) in Zanzibar in Tanzania where?I have a beautiful home right on the beach!

?As?I write this,?I am embarking on one of my bucket list trips (and if you don’t have a bucket list,?I suggest today is the day you write yours down as if it’s not on paper - its vapour). I flew to Buenos right down to the very tip of South America to catch a ship. Not just an ordinary ship but an icebreaker ship which will take us as far as we can possibly go right down almost to the South Pole. In two week’s time?I will write another blog about my journey down South?and send you lots of pictures but?I am?hoping that by you reading this article you will find that spirit of adventure that is inside you and decide that while you?still have breath in your body and a body that can move. You will find the time and the resources to book yourself a trip to somewhere that you?would like to visit. ?

Before embarking on?this trip,?I did ask several of our?friends, who have the financial means, to join us. ?Sadly, most were unable to as they would not pass the medical, they just left it too late - don’t do this!! Seize the opportunity to travel with both hands as it ignites the soul?and broadens the mind. So often we spend our money on material goods which don’t last, memories of a wonderful trip will be with you for ever.

?Much Love,

Margaret Hirsch