It was quite a beautiful day outside…warm…despite the fact that the landscape was covered by snow. I was to be taught skiing that day, and was a bit anxious. I had already tried the day before, and almost ran off the side of a cliff…so, I wasn’t particularly calm about it. Still though, that day was going to be an attempt: Attempt number 2. My instructor and I boarded the ski lift. We got to the top, and all my eyes and mind saw was the slope disappearing metres away from me. I gradually became more and more panicked; and the lift operator, noticing my distress, came over and told me that I could get back down using the lift. He then offered me his hand, to help me up (since I had fallen), and together we went to the ski lift.

Safely down, but still shaken by everything that had previously occurred, I had about 6 hours to kill, before I could go ‘home’,…6 hours wandering around alone in Italy. At first the thought of it was a bit daunting. “You’re good at finding interest in things that other’s may consider boring, but can you do that for 6 hours in a country where people don’t speak the same language that you do, you have no internet access and you can only go as far away as you’re sure to return from by 4:00pm?” I waited at the bottom for a while, trying to figure out what to do with myself… I had 2 working feet, a reasonably normal level of curiosity, a camera, an ipod, a cell-phone (the non-smart kind) and enough euros to get me some food; Italy had a gorgeous landscape-like nothing my eyes had ever seen before. So, it was decided….I’ll walk as far as I can in 3 hours, taking pictures and listening to music along the way, and spend the next three hours walking back and looking for a restaurant.

And so my journey began with one step in a paved car park, and with one click of a button on my cheap, old DSLR. The landscape was beautiful, so beautiful that I wanted pictures of myself in it…and so my plan was adjusted: let’s take pictures of moi surrounded by snow at different points on my epic walk. So, that’s basically what’s in the pictures above. I walked through the snow, climbed up little hills, looked at the ground and saw a myriad of shoe prints…proof of the many others who had walked that way before. On the way back I tried to find my shoe prints—I couldn’t. I saw little house-looking-things filled with hay, forests of pine trees with paths steeply winding all the way into them, a small village just over the other side of a hill, little pools of clear water with algae lining the sides, and people trudging along skiing cross country.

Admittedly, when I began my walk I was frustrated. I had all this time to burn in an unknown environment…but by the end of it, I’d had so much time to myself, so much time to think, so much time to breathe, so much time to experience nature. I experienced a level of peace and relaxation that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I had climbed a small hill to get to a restaurant, and though panting, the panoramic view was still able to take my breath away. I remember thinking to myself then: “Situations are gonna upset you, but they’ll only steal your peace for as long as you let them. Learn how to address the negative without ignoring it or letting it take control of you.” I’m still learning… there’s always the temptation to run from problems, there’s always something out there that succeeds in causing me to fall and there isn’t always someone around to help me up… but my legs are becoming stronger, standing up is becoming quicker and easier…and there’s always something beautiful in nature to remind me that pausing for a breather, introspection (and selfies) isn’t always so bad.

Twas an awesome ‘until next time’ dinner…Thanks very much for everything!! 🙂 My friends at the Psychometrics Centre.

Last Friday I submitted my dissertation. (Yay!) I thanked ya’ll, my Facebook friends et al., in ze Acknowledgements section and I thank you again now for the encouragement, kind words and assistance. ^_^ The following is what I wrote in the Acknowledgements; please forgive me if I forgot to mention you by name (feel free to point out my omission via a private message and hopefully you’ll forgive me after getting a virtual hug ^^):
Acknowledgements
When I began this dissertation I thought to myself “Kalifa, how yuh really goin’ to pull dat off?” Needless to say, I have completed the task, despite my initial worry. However, any attempt to take sole responsibility for this achievement would be an egregious insult to God and the many individuals who believed in me and encouraged, advised and otherwise assisted me. I therefore dedicate this acknowledgement to everyone who has been there for me.

I firstly want to thank John (Prof. Rust) who has been very supportive of me as a young academic, artist and all-rounded person. His feedback on my work, belief in me, and quirky retelling of stories fuelled me to work hard– with a smile and laugh. I’d also like to thank David (Dr. Good), who was always willing to sit with me, give me advice and encouragement, and
share some of the most thought provoking philosophical metaphors about life and psychology.

I am also immensely grateful to David (Dr. Stillwell) for his friendship and encouragement, as well as his constructive (and entertaining >_<) critique and proof reading, of my dissertation. I’d also like to especially thank Bartosz (Kielczewski) for being awesome, kind, and helping me with using the Facebook API to collect data. Very special mention must also be made of Aiden, Sandra, Tanja, Josip, Keven, Kamila, Michal and all the members of the Psychometrics Centre whose friendship during my time at Cambridge is invaluable. I’d also like to specially thank Avah, Corinne, Lorendra, Sameer, Chris (Dr. Meir), Dr. Chadee, Mr. and Mrs. Parks, Rita D., Rachel McD., Diane FM., Dr. Alan B., Michael M. and my Facebook friends whose kindness, concern and support helped sustain me throughout this journey.

Lastly, and in no way the least, I’d like to thank God and my family: mummy (Sharlyne Fox-Damani), daddy (Micah Damani), my siblings (Ashaki, Okera, Jo shua and Rachel), and grandparents, cousins, uncles and aunties for loving and supporting me through it all. ^_^