I'm home from Zanzibar. It really was the perfect end to what's been a hard and testing year for me.

We arrived at the airport before sunrise, too excited to be tired. I thought it would be a good idea to just not sleep that night. It wasn't.




So halfway to Zanzibar about an hour and a half into the journey the captain announces that there is a problem with the plane and we have to now go back to JHB cos they can't land in Zanzibar. I'm already a nervous flyer as it is so understandably I was now in a panic. So we flew back home, landed, they fixed the plane and we started all over again now 3 hours behind schedule, we decided to drink. One cider and too little sleep and a lot of fear and I passed out until we arrived and was greeted with the most beautiful island.



There were 12 of us in total, I didn't know everyone but after the first night together I fell instantly in love with them. Turns out the girls were very much like me. Girl-boys without issues, a bad sense of humour and dirty mouths.

On the Monday half the team went diving and the rest of us decided to go on a banana boat, a decision I would instantly regret. It was god-damn terrifying hurtling behind the boat knowing that at every turn they were going to make sure we were thrown off despite my begging. Anyway I have a shin bruise the size of my hand as a result. When we were heading back to shore something magical happened though, we were met by a pod of dolphins, suddenly they were just everywhere so we dived off and I swam with dolphins for the first time.



There is something calming about being at the sea, I believe that because we are largely made up of water we can feel the push and pull of the tides when we are close and it balances you. There is another grounding effect that happens when I'm surrounded by such an untameable force of nature, the same experience as seeing a sky full of stars I am reminded that I am small and insignificant and most importantly mortal, it's realising that that I know I have to make the most of my time here with the people I love, let go of hurt and unhappiness and live.

In the middle of the week we took a day trip to prison island to see the giant tortoise sanctuary and afterwards they took us to a sandbank island where they made a beach braai.

The rest of the week was filled with sea-swimming, silliness, late night pool swims, card games and too much drinking and boat rides. I convinced my sister to be Patrick Swayze because I was dying to be Baby in the pool, after many a face plants I HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE

I took these with my underwater film camera. If you look closely you can see dolphins. That was from the second time we found them. We went out on a boat trip and BOOM fucking dolphins again everyone in the water! This time they swam right up close to me, there were 2 that were dancing and playing. I'm so lucky holy crap.

The last night was probably my favourite. It was 'the end of the world' so we decided to party until we wished the world was over. We started out on a cruise into the sunset on a dhow.



We sailed and drank. I played the drums like a true moron and danced with the captain of the ship, I tried to booty hop and his mouth was on the ground, I take the prize for worst dancer of all time.





We came back to a beach party, cheesy music and sweaty dancing until the wee hours and so my holiday ended with a naked swim in the sea under the moon, one of the nicest experiences I've had.