Did I make the right decision?
Even though Ethiopia is safe, it's not something you often see, a woman camping alone in the forest. And my thoughts... went everywhere.
When he asked me questions, I couldn't admit I was alone. I told him a friend would join me later.
But he noticed my nervousness
Instead of questioning me, he started sharing his story, about losing his wife, raising his children alone, and spending years protecting the forest he deeply loves.
Then he told me something that quietly changed everything.
I wasn't the first woman to camp there. Two other women, both foreigners, had done it before, and he had guided them too.
In that moment, something shifted.
I felt safe. I felt calm. I felt like I belonged there.
That trip became one of the most authentic and unforgettable experiences of my life.
Before I left, I thanked him deeply. And to this day, we are still in touch.
Sometimes the moments that scare you the most... become the ones that change you the most.