Building resilience was, and still is, one of my reasons for doing this trip. I think I am a fairly strong person, having weathered my fair share of life's lemons. But I feel like I quit things too easily, and I do believe that learning how to stick things out and see them through could be good for me. Given the nature of this journey, I expected some challenges. But boy, do they sure have a way of surprising you when they crop up. Here are some of the biggest challenges I have faces on this trip so far.

Hitchhiking can take a toll on the body and spirit, especially when it takes hours to get a ride. But I found I have been surprisingly resilient in this regard. The real challenge comes after being picked up and having to maintain a social attitude while completely drained. And there have been times when rides turned to hosts, and we've had to remain "switched on," sometimes, all night. Juro is a lot better at this than I am, and this can be very conflicting, as I am always really grateful to these incredibly gracious people. And while I can be very social, I am someone who definitely needs to recharge my social battery fairly often.

Of course, things could be worse. Like on a particularly difficult night in Walvis Bay. We were unable to find a host and decided on wild camping for the night. We were at using the internet at a Mugg & Bean in a shopping mall next to a wetland (yeah, I know), and left at the end of the day to pick a camping spot amid the dunes. I was already exhausted, and even took a nap at one point in the little holding cell they have for more enterprising patrons.

We definitely left the mall a tad too late as by the time we found a suitable place to setup it was already getting dark. We also did not have a camping tent as we are only carrying hammocks, sleeping bags, and a big plastic sheet to shield us from the elements. It took forever to setup the plastic sheet and the icy wind did not make it easier. By the time it we were done, I was beyond crabby.

That night, Juro had to deal with one really angry fairy, a hammock that kept sliding down the dune, a weird sulphuric smell sand about a million mosquitoes. The space was really beautiful, and I wished I was able to appreciate it more in the moment. That evening, my spirits sank really low, and I was seriously contemplating leaving for the capital in the morning and hopping on a bus back to Cape Town. But even then, in my moment of deepest despair, the thought of quitting seemed worse than pushing through and finding the lesson amid the madness.

I do believe things have a way of working themselves out. The following night we were hosted by a seasoned traveler who had hosted over a hundred Couchsurfers. She offered us advice for the next steps in our journey and we crashed in her living room and got a decent night's rest which I have come to realise is a pretty important staple for a life on the road.