When I suddenly had to come back home after two years, I knew this was going to be a hard one. I was ready to come back home, but not so ready to actually be home. I knew that I had changed but maybe a lot of what I had left behind had stayed the same. I knew that even though quite impossible, I had to pick back up right where I left off. After a month I still felt restless, like I still hadn’t arrived, so I decided to book a trip to Voltzberg/Raleighvallen, because maybe I had to wash away the beach and the sea with Amazonian fresh water from a sula.

The trip started with a 5 hour drive from Lelydorp to Witagron and a 3 hour boattrip from Witagron to Fungu Eiland. My intention for this trip was to live in the moment, so even though it was a long journey, I did just that, I enjoyed every bump on the road and every ache in my fine ass. And I realized, Suriname, is so big, I had missed being on my way to somewhere and not arriving in 5 minutes.

The journey to the top of the Volzberg the next day, was nothing different, but I had promised myself to live in the moment. So a 5 hour hike to the top of the Voltzberg and then another 4 hours back to the Anjoemaravallen, which was breathtakingly beautiful. Of course my feet and legs were so sore. My toes were shapeless and I literally had to drag my feet for the coming three days.

On the third day we did another 1 hour hike to the Moedervallen where I lay in that sula, letting the water flow from head to toes. Imagine what that must have felt like, soft, fresh, sweet, caressing and flowing through my whole body. I knew it was going to be a hard one and on some days it still is and maybe it will always be. But for now, I am home in Father’s land and on Mother’s earth.