...my journey from Arizona to Zimbabwe and beyond
A2Z Traveling Roadshow
If memory serves me correctly, my dreams and visions of Africa began when I was 14, after reading an autobiography of one woman's experience moving to the massive continent. As a child, it seemed as if Africa was a million miles away, yet my visions of standing on its open plains, immersed in its beauty and serenity, felt like it was just outside my door.
I must have only slept a maximum of one hour in fifteen minute stints that first night on safari last September, in a tent in the heart of the bush of Botswana in the Savuti Game Reserve. The initial fear and adrenaline raced through me as I recognized my vulnerability to the unknown amongst the animals, with the sounds of hyenas yipping, hippos and elephants splashing in the river only yards away, and lions roaring from afar... or were they??? Just after midnight on my second night of our mobile safari, I heard a rustling in the leaves just beside the tent. I woke my friend and we listened with bated breath. I heard an animal rise like a Phoenix from the ashes, and took note of each footstep as it was rounding the corner to the front of the tent. Then as clear as the night sky filled with its radiant stars and brilliant moon, the mane of a male lion emerged as the magnificent beast strutted directly toward the screen door of our tent. I suspect my heart stopped beating in those moments as I tried to sit in utter silence. Without pause, the king of the jungle turned and walked away, passing each of the other tents in our camp, but only we woke to his grandeur. It was an experience in time forever imprinted in my mind.
Within only a matter of a few days my fear evolved in a way I had not anticipated...my adoration for being in the wild of the bush created doubt that I would ever find peace again in my own bed. I experienced a growing desire to give up my way of life as I had known it. I assumed still, that once I was immersed back into my routine in Arizona, I would quickly adapt to "normal" life again. But I soon discovered while we explored the marshes and forests of the Reserve that reflecting on "normal" life was causing me to feel empty. Conversely, I discovered a peace and contentment I had not previously known. The notion of stress, time and deadlines had withered into non-existence. I'd lost all count of the days. I was completely present in the moment, as if no other sense of time existed. And it felt effortless.
I would wake each morning anxious to begin the day of sights and sounds and smells of the bush, and without the haze or grogginess I had become so accustomed to know, even despite only a few hours of sleep each night. I asked myself, what if I could create this new sense of freedom every day? The remainder of our excursions in the bush continued to surpass any expectation, and my love for the wild of Africa deepened immensely. To view photos please visit My First Visit to Africa (Sept 2014).
Two weeks later I returned to the U.S. and as I stood in the immigration and customs line, tears began to well. I knew in that moment I had left a piece of my heart in that soulful land, and I would soon have to return to retrieve it to be whole again.
I quickly began to contemplate how I could return to Africa and be fulfilled. In the words of my safari guide, who I credit in large part to setting this path in motion by opening my eyes and ears to a simpler life, if you feel unfilled then give back, for it is in giving that we receive. And so the search began. I discovered Habitat for Humanity's Global Village program, wherein lied an opportunity to return to Africa as a volunteer to help build new homes for vulnerable children and orphans devastated by Africa's widespread AIDS epidemic. I set the wheels in motion. Each road we follow has twists and turns. What began as an intended two week visit to the country of Malawi evolved into a choice to leave my 12 year career. March 31st marked the end of a major chapter in my life, and the beginning of a new journey. I am now departing for a 6 week African adventure to the countries of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi, to return to the animals, people and land who stole my heart, and set off on the next path of self-exploration. What is "normal" anyway? Please join me as this journey unfolds.