A Colorful Selection of Memories

Live your life in full color — a writing prompt response

Colors. Happy colors. A lot of colors. That is my subject. That is what I’m good at. Dressing in happy colors. Pointing out colors. So it’s no surprise that I started typing as soon as I saw the new writing prompt from Weeds & Wildflowers. Thank you, Dennett!

I’m sharing with you a selection of colorful memories from the past six years. You won’t have to look for the colors in these photographs. They will jump into your eye.

“Colors are the smiles of nature.” — James Henry Leigh Hunt

A funeral in Ghana

This was towards the end of my stay in Ghana. My host father asked me if I would want to join him and go to a funeral. A big chief of a neighboring village died. I said of course if I’m allowed to join the ceremony. Little did I know how many people would show up there.

And then I asked him if I needed to dress completely in black, which would have been difficult since I don’t own black clothes. He told me to wear the most colorful dress I own.

We are celebrating someone’s life. Bring on the happy colors.

I loved that statement! Since then I’ve never worn black to a funeral ever again. I am a colorful person. And I am celebrating it.

Zanzibar is more than just tropical beaches

If you say Zanzibar everyone thinks of crystal clear water, tropical beaches, and honeymoon trips. But the island which is part of Tanzania has more to offer than that. Zanzibar has a lot of cultures to explore too.

Starting my visit in Stone Town I walked through the old city before I got to enter a park. Lots of young, female Muslims were sitting all around the park. In small groups, they were sitting together. Some of them had books in their hand.

I got curious and decided to sit down on a nearby bench and watch the scene. As I was sitting there a girl pointed at me and called me over. She wanted me to sit with them. They were studying and could use some help in English.

It wasn’t long after I sat down that I was surrounded by around 20 women. Some of them with a hijab, some with a headscarf, and me in the middle. Wearing a light summer dress. Which didn’t bother anyone.

It was a lovely experience. We chatted a lot, smiled, and laughed together. Such kind people and so clever. I couldn’t understand half of their English texts they were supposed to read.

The rainbow above the Victoria Falls

In fact, it’s a double rainbow. I have never in my life seen such a colorful rainbow. So bright. As if someone painted it into the air. Which is kind of true. Nature did. Nature has an amazing talent for art.

When I planned my first trip to Africa I didn’t know much about how I was going to travel from A to B or where I was going to at all. All I did know was that I wanted to visit the world-famous Victoria Falls. So it wasn’t surprising that I felt like “I made it” when I was standing underneath the rain of the falls.

It was an unforgettable feeling. Standing there. Underneath the blue sky and yet it was pouring down rain on me. The rain that developed from the mist rising from the waterfalls. What power water has.

And then obviously the beauty of this colorful rainbows. I’ve never seen a second rainbow in such strength. Simply amazing.

The red sand dunes of the Namib desert

I did choose, on purpose, not a typical postcard shot of the red dunes of Namibia. Because the Namib desert is more than just that. And the desert is more than just sand. A diversity of wildlife is part of the stunning features.

From the first time I stepped into the desert, I got mesmerized by its beauty. Its diversity. And its peace. The desert is such a peaceful environment. In my eyes at least. I feel so relaxed when I walk through the desert.

Years of living and working in the desert taught me to have respect. Respect for its wildness, unpredictability, and vastness. And eventually, I fell in love with all these features of this unique landscape.

The colors in the desert are also different. Sometimes it seems like everything has the same color. An unimpressive brown. And then you drive around the corner and the most colorful field of flowers is waiting for you.

The colors of an African sunset

I could have chosen so many different pictures for a sunset photograph. I’ve experienced countless unforgettable sunsets across the African continent. But I chose this one for a reason. I chose it because of the trip I did.

With a dugout-canoe called Mokoro, I traveled into the world-famous Okavango delta. One guide and I. We went for a walk just before sunset and walked past hippos, wildebeest, zebras, elephants, and giraffes. It was incredible.

I’ve been on safaris before, but never on foot. It’s so different. Walking through the bush and seeing the wild animals right in front of you. Or above you. If you stare at a Giraffe she’s more like above you than anything else. They are huge!

I can’t describe it. The sensations. The sounds. The smell. Everything together was just so unique. After we got back from the walk we started a fire and talked about the day. The guide explained to me that a campfire is called the bush-tv. Because people sit around the fire in the bush and listen to stories. Just like on tv.

The end of a trip of a lifetime

To represent the color yellow I could have pretty much taken any selfie from this trip. Because there aren’t pictures where I am not wearing anything yellow. Or at least something colorful. But I chose this one for a specific reason.

It didn’t just end here. At the southernmost point of the African continent. My trip through Africa was finished. But it was actually the beginning of a new era. It was the beginning of my new life. My life on the African continent. Involving a lot of happiness. Therefore a lot of colorful clothes and pretty smiles.

Snowboarding

This is something I left behind when I decided to start a new life in Africa. My life in the snow. All of a sudden it was so far away. I became a snowboarding instructor in order to teach people how to board. On sand.

Nobody could ever lose me on the slopes. I was just too different from the black-and-grey winter crowd. That also meant every lift boy always knew when I took the short cut through the forest or drove down through the deep snow in the backcountry.

I was seen.

My new home

This photo represents so much for me. It stands for happiness. And for a happy time in my life. I was 21. I had nothing to worry about. I didn’t know fear. And I had no plans. (I still don’t, but anyhow.) I didn’t know where my future was going to bring me. I just went with the flow.

Meanwhile, on this day we went crayfish diving. Well, the boys did. I was just drifting in the waves. Going with the current. Acting like I was diving. And as the boys got enough crayfish we set up our camp. Right there and then. On the beach.

My friend and I started preparing the freshly caught crayfish. It got grilled on the fire shortly after. That’s what I call fresh seafood. Incredibly delicious. Only available in season. Which makes it even more scarce.

Sledding with my grandma

Such an inspiring person. My grandma. Eighty years old and still racing down the skiing slope on a sled. She’s doing that several times a day. Each time walking back up the slope on foot.

And here she’s taking me for a ride.

Conquering the sky

The beginning of a new passion. A new sport. And a new job. One year after my first tandem skydive I did my first solo jump. And a lot of jumps were to follow. A lot to learn. A lot of friendships to be made.

A journey that I will never forget. And that still goes on.

My life in the sky is definitely a colorful one.

The first time seeing snow

Not for me. This was my partners’ first trip to Europe. It was his first time seeing, feeling, and tasting snow. Something not imaginable for me. For someone who grew up in the snow.

Born in winter I was only a few weeks old when I saw snow the first time. He said I should compare it to when I saw the desert the first time. I was speechless. And I still love the desert. But it’s not the same. Because I’ve seen, felt, and most probably tasted sand before. As a kid in the sandpit. On the beach. And wherever else you can find sand.

So, no it’s not the same. But I am so glad I could live that moment with you. The moment when you saw snow the first time. The moment you felt it for the first time. The moment you picked up that old, hard, icy snow on the side of the road and made your first snowball out it. That moment the snowball hit my face.

I didn’t know snow could be so hard.

That was his sentence. Even though I got to feel it. That was my part of the experience.

Sandboarding

I could write an entire article about it. I probably did already. Wait, I never wrote about sandboarding on Medium before?! Then this is going to be a tough one. Sandboarding was my life. It wasn’t part of my life. Sandboarding was my life for four years. Four out of the five years I lived in Namibia I spent in the sand. On the sand dunes. Being covered in sand. Every. Single. Day.

Well, guess what? I kind of like sand. Otherwise, this would not have been possible. I worked as a sandboarding instructor in Namibia teaching tourists how to board on the sand. I loved it. The exercise I got through it. The conversations I had with the people. The teaching. Everything.

This was the time when people started asking me when I would get a real job. I got so upset with them asking this judging question that I replied “never”. They were anyway just jealous of not having such an awesome, fun-seeking, and entertaining job.

The year of the alpine roses

I don’t remember ever seeing that many alpine roses at once like I did on this trip. My partner and I flew to Germany and went on a five-day hike into the alps together with my dad. A tough couple of days. Difficult hikes, long days, and a heavy backpack to carry.

But it was also a trip I often think back at. I enjoyed every minute of it even If I did not by the time. If someone would ask me about it I would go again. Right now.

And those fields of flowers covering mountain ranges over mountain ranges. Something I have never seen before. I mean I haven’t been hiking in the alps for a few years because I turned into an annoying teenager who decided hiking is really uncool. And it took me some time to get back to it to find the joy of hiking again.

But still. I’ve never seen the beauty of these flowers like this before.

Sleeping under the stars

This stands for the countless nights I spent camping under the sky full of stars. Especially all those nights we camped at Spitzkoppe. A mountain in Namibia where I offered rock climbing excursions.

Yes, somewhere along the line I became a climbing instructor and taught kids and adults how to overcome their fear and make their way up a wall. I loved those trips. I learned so much. I grew as a climber. As a teacher. And as a person. A lot.

And every evening out there I would finally lay down on my mattress and look at the stars. I would count shooting stars and admire the brightness of the milky way. Having a fire next to me which always lit up the trees around me. They would shine in bright orange and red colors on my photographs. I kind of liked that feature.

Overcoming my fear

This doesn’t just stand for the fact I went diving. This stands for a fear of mine. The fear of not being able to breathe underwater. It stands for the fact my partner still convinced me to try it out. Diving. I never wanted to do it. He didn’t force me. He just convinced me to try it. In a sneaky but good way.

And this photograph stands for overcoming my fear. It stands for fighting. Fighting with my mind. Fighting underwater to complete the skills required. Crying on the deck of the ship. Being ready to give up but not giving up due to an amazing diving instructor who spent extra hours with me.

This stands for me getting my PADI open water license. And so much more.

It stands for the courage of leaving your comfort zone. It stands for having the motivation for trying out something new. And it stands for the strength of not giving up.

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” — Neale Donald Walsch

The most colorful stairs in the world

These stairs lead to a pilgrimage site for Hindus and the famous Batu caves. Those stairs bringing you up the limestone cliff into the caves. At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to visit the site since it appeared to be a popular tourist attraction but in the end, I was very glad I went there.

I enjoyed walking through the Hindu temple experiencing something from a foreign culture and religion. The view from the caves onto the city was also worth a mention just like seeing such a huge statue painted in gold.

Hammock life is a good life

I love my hammock. I even dedicated her an entire article. I bought this beautiful, colorful and strong hammock in 2018 before I moved to Thailand. I’ve been listening to the waves of the ocean while being on various beaches and islands around the country writing countless articles lying in this hammock.

Back in Namibia I obviously packed in for our road trip and also found almost always a place to set it up. Just sometimes I couldn’t use it because I found my partner sleeping in it. Guess he is enjoying the hammock life too.

Friends bring color into my life

This last picture is dedicated to all my friends. The friends who make my life a little bit more colorful. Even if they are often far away from me (or I am far away from them). They are still there. It didn’t break our relationship. The distance between us is more like a strength of ours.

Whenever we meet it makes those moments more special. We learn to appreciate each other’s time and make the most out of it.

I hope you enjoyed reading through the collection of colorful memories of mine. I definitely had a lot of fun going through folders of photographs bringing up a huge selection of memories.

“Color is a power which directly influences the soul.” — Wassily Kandinsky