My dream destination. Dreamy sigh. Dwelling on this catchy little phrase, a hundred images flood my mind and fuel my imagination. Exotic locations in far-flung places, perhaps a luxury flight or two in a fast jet to get there – we all have our dreams, don’t we? They are, however, all too often somewhere ‘out there’ – balancing on a ledge, or tucked away on a shelf that’s too high to reach…
But, what if, when you dare to dream enough, you could turn your destination into your destiny? What if you could live out your days in your dream destination, breathing in its air daily, hearing its sounds, seeing its beauty, embracing its people, becoming a part of its culture?
So, it was for the Scott-Riddell family, when our whimsical dreaming turned into a rather surprising call for action. We weighed all the balances and ticked all the checks (as any family with an aviation background like ours would naturally do), and unanimously decided on a complete change to our ‘normal’ suburban life that was going to turn all our lives around…
It was during a short camping holiday in August 2016, which took us to the small tourist town of Victoria Falls in the north-western part of Zimbabwe. Where, besides the obvious main attraction of the magnificent Falls itself and the surrounding vast expanse of bush, we experienced the feeling that we were simultaneously on the edge of nowhere, but also everywhere all at once. There were three attractive lures that made this dream destination of ours more and more appealing as a place where we could call home:
- A regular, dependable supply of water from the nearby Zambezi River.
- Very few power cuts (compared to the almost daily cuts we experienced at home in Harare).
- Easy access to hard cash (every Zimbabwean’s daily challenge).
Fast forward and our dream became a reality.
By December 2016, we had moved 1 dog, 2 cats and the kitchen sink, all of our worldly possessions and a half-built aeroplane (that’s a story for another time!) to Victoria Falls. One of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World was to become our new home, and the beginning of our Pamarah adventure.
3 Responses
I am looking forward to the next chapter – but this is a wonderful start to what is certainly going to make a great story of courage and determination. We all need dreams and you have certainly achieved yours. Good on you both!!
How lovely to be able to follow your journey and well done for following your dream. What a beautiful part of the world 💕
wooow i just read the chapter, I really loved it soo much.I didn’t know you moved here , thought you were born here hahaha.That must have taken so much courage and a lot of determination, leaving the life you used to and having to start afresh that’s a bravest thing to do.You guys are so brave and determined no wonder this place is this special and amazing. Looking forward to more beautiful chapters like this.