Contents - Open To Read
THANKS AFRICA FOR MAKING ME FEEL LIKE A FOUR YEAR OLD KID AGAIN!
This is without any doubts one of the most exciting posts I’ll ever write. The one that I was waiting to publish for a very long time!!
I’m sitting on my bed here in Sardinia, a bed filled with piles of mixed stuff (mostly wet tissues actually!) ready to be packed and, as incredible as it might sound, I still can’t believe that this is happening for real!
I just looked up at the calendar on my laptop for the millionth time. Yep, it’s still the 15th of November and on the 17th, early in the morning I will catch the first of my 4 flights to reach the destination number one on my list: Namibia.
Seriously? Am I really doing this?
When my mind finally grasp that yes, I am going to camp in the desert under a roof made of stars, seeing my beloved big cats and who knows what else… my heart starts beating so fast that I think it’s going to explode.
Almost everything is ready. I was so excited that I packed 90% of my stuff back in September, I just need to add the toiletries and I’m done.
But the real question still remains, am I emotionally “ready”?!
THE AFRICA EFFECT: MY EMOTIONS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE!
Amazing sunsets ahead! Source. Wikimedia.org
Africa has always been THE continent I wanted to explore more than any other. My favorite book as a kid was the Atlas and I remember spending my days examining every name, mountain, lake, and country in Africa.
Being a kid, I had a fervid imagination and just by looking at the map I saw the lions and cheetahs jumping out of those pages. I pictured immense landscapes, deserted lands and fascinating people wearing “weird” dresses and still living like “savages”.
Well, excuse me, I was a kid so I had no real notion of the cultural differences yet, and I couldn’t even rely on Google at the time, as Internet didn’t even exist (damn this makes me feel old!) 😀
TV Documentaries were all I had, but now I’m finally fulfilling my crazy dream!
It took me more than 4 months of hard work to get to this point. First only the idea of actually going to Africa took me a few weeks to set in, then I started putting together an ideal itinerary of the countries I wanted to visit the most and the things I was dreaming of seeing since forever and now…
Two days apart from realizing the biggest dream of my life I have so many emotions inside that I’m acting like a real lunatic most of the times.
My many facial expressions, but I should add some more for Africa!!
My family is so fed up with me talking about this trip that, for as much as they are concerned about my safety (hello mum, I’m 38 and I’ve been traveling alone since age 18), they wanted to send me to Africa months ago.
I get it, as soon as I’m gone they can finally enjoy a proper meal, without me starting the conversation with the usual: “Hey! I just discovered that in AFRICA…”
JUST SHUT UP, WILL YOU?!!!
So we are basically at square one again. Me acting like an annoying kid asking “why” a million times. That’s what Africa did to me. And it’s amazing.
I was looking for this kind of excitement since I first left for my long term trip to Asia in 2013. I wrote a blog post called “The night before the trip” where I talked about the exciting sensations, the tears of joy and the unsettling feeling of fear for the big unknown. At that time, I was 100% sure that such emotions could only occur once during your lifetime.
That was my first real adventurous trip after all and being a first, I thought that it would have always remained an unbeaten record as far as my emotions were concerned.
How wrong I was! Three years later, here I am. A supposedly experienced traveler. A girl who slept on the floor of many airports and dirty buses, a girl who reinvented her life from scratch and has so many incredible adventures already on her back…and yet, Africa drastically changed my dull idea of “first times”.
Me enjoying one of my many adventures in the beautiful Philippines -Coron
Don’t get me wrong, it is somehow true that for a good part of my trips, that first night before my Asian departure was a huge milestone and nothing after that did get even close to those feelings.
When you travel as a lifestyle, the departures slowly start to become a routine, sometimes even boring or annoying. There is nothing that gives you “the chills” like THAT first time.
I was obviously still happy to travel, but I wasn’t certainly looking forwards to catch yet another 12 hours flight to the other side of the world.
Not with Africa. I’m back. My old (younger) self is back!
I can barely sleep at night and I am constantly researching for new articles to read and pretend that I’ll be more prepared when, in fact, I know very well that no matter how much you think you are ready for a trip…
You will never be 100% prepared for it. And that’s actually the true beauty traveling!
THE ITINERARY:
This is the itinerary for my trip, except for the last leg from Tanzania to cape town, still to be confirmed (I just have one-way ticket at the moment!)
After my emotional rant, let’s now get into the detail of my epic trip! What countries am I going to visit? What kind of trip and experiences am I super excited to have?
Below is a recap of the countries and activities I have planned (also useful as a reminder for myself, as I have so much on my plate right now!)
November 17th:
THE DEPARTURE!
To the Moon …and back! Source. Wikimedia.org
From Cagliari, I’ll be catching a plane to Rome where I’ll have my first layover, then I’ll head further north to Frankfurt for 5 hours before boarding a 12 hours flight that will cross the entire African continent, headed to Johannesburg.
From there I will catch my last plane to Windhoek in Namibia, arriving on November 18th. Probably exhausted, but definitely excited!
I will be flying with South African Airways, as it was the cheapest option from Europe.
Cost of the trip: 520 Euros (including the usual annoying and expensive flight to get to mainland Italy, as living in an Island means at least an extra 150 euros for the flights)
November 18th-19th:
NAMIBIA – RESTING DAY.
Source: Memegenerator.com
I will probably enter my usual coma in my Hotel in Windhoek, my plan is to just regain my energies by eating and sleeping to get back in shape for my first massive adventure starting on the 20th of November!
November 20th:
23 DAYS OVERLAND CAMPING TRIP IN NAMIBIA / BOTSWANA / VICTORIA FALLS.
Sleeping under the stars for almost 1 month! A dream coming true! Source. Wikimedia.org
The adventure begins! I will start a trip called ” 23 day African Odyssey Safari” with Wild Dogs Safaris, and I couldn’t be happier with my choice! This is exactly how I wanted to start my African trip. With some hardcore adventure times!
I will be camping every night under the stars and I’ll also contribute to the life in the camp, together with the other travelers, helping with the cooking (good luck with that!), cleaning etc.
The highlights of this amazing trip will be: Kalahari Desert, Fish River Canyon, Luderitz and Kolmanskop, Namib Desert, Africat Foundation, Etosha National Park, Twyfelfontein, Swakopmund, Ghanzi, Okavango Pan-handle, Caprivi Strip, Chobe National Park and Victoria Falls.
One word: I simply can’t wait!!! My imagination is already running wild and nothing, and I mean NOTHING can stop that!
December 12th:
ZIMBABWE – VICTORIA FALLS
Wow! Can’t wait to see this place! Source: Wikimedia.org
The adventurous tour will come to an end and after admiring the mighty Victoria falls (unfortunately I’ll just have one day in there), I’ll cross the border from Zimbabwe to Zambia (please let me in!) and I’ll be spending the night in Livingstone, where on December 13 I will catch a flight for the second leg of my trip.
December 13/14:
ARRIVING IN KENYA
Source. www.nationalgeographic.com
On December 13th I will depart from Livingstone with South African Airways again (they still are the cheapest option and, for the records, they are NOT sponsoring me, not even a class upgrade) :).
I will spend the night in Johannesburg, probably using their Lounge, as I have a super useful card called “The Regal Card“ -which I love already- that will allow me to enter every lounge in the world (more on this below on the useful stuff I’ll bring on this epic trip).
On the 14th of December, I’ll take my flight from Jo’burg to Nairobi where I plan to collapse for the whole afternoon, as on the 15th I’ll start my adventures in Kenya!
Cost of the Flight: 230 euros (Vs the 550 euros for the direct flight with Kenya Airways)
December 15/20th:
KENYA ADVENTURES – PHOTO TRIP
Amazing view at lake Nakuru, one of my stops in Kenya. Source: Wikimedia.org
Finally! I will start my one week trip with the driver and my guide, Tufayn, the director of Glory Safaris. He is also an amazing photographer, owner of a massive 600mm lens, so it’s going to be fun to watch and learn from him!
I had the chance to meet him at the WTM in London, and we were both so excited about this trip, it0s going to be an epic one!
We will be exploring the Aberdare area, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and the famous Maasai mara reserve and back to Nairobi.
Since I want to explore different things in Africa, I think this Kenya trip will be focused mainly on photography (one of my biggest passions) and we will be trying to shoot the milky way and experiment with our cameras. I’m beyond excitement just by thinking about it!
December 21 – January 2nd:
UGANDA / RWANDA – AN UNCONVENTIONAL CULTURAL TRIP
Not 100% sure these are the traditional dresses, but I had to research on wikimedia commons, so I’ll let you know better when I will take my own pictures with the locals! 🙂
As you can see from the dates.. I’ll be spending Christmas and greeting 2016 in Rwanda! I feel I’m the luckiest girl in the world because of this.
I met Miha on my last day at the WTM in London, from “Gorilla Highlands” and we had a very long chat about my trip, what I really wanted to experience in Uganda and Rwanda and we found so many points in common that in the end we decided to create something unique together.
If my first leg of the trip was totally focused on adventure in its pure state, and the Kenyan one is mostly about photography, for Uganda and Rwanda my main focus will be the interaction with the local communities, hopefully volunteering during Christmas as well as driving around the western -less known- part of Uganda.
And nope, I’m not going to see the Gorillas, for which Uganda is actually famous. This decision came for different reasons. As much as I would have loved to see these sweet creatures, at Christmas time finding a permit to visit the Gorilla has proven to be a mission impossible.
Tree Lion at Queen Elizabeth Park in Uganda. Source: Wikimedia.org
Not to mention that I can’t hike (long story), and the Gorillas are actually Mountain Gorillas, so you do the math 🙂 But most importantly, I’d like to experience something more than just the main highlight and see what other beautiful things Uganda and Rwanda have to offer.
Plus I will be spending NYE among these lovely people and with the local community. I couldn’t ask for a better start of the year!
January 2nd -January 8th:
TENTED CAMPS & SAFARIS IN NORTHERN TANZANIA!
Relaxing times ahead in Tanzania.. I like to try a little bit of everything! Source: www.angatacamps.com
After the basic camping experience, the photo trip and the journey amongst the local, it’s time to enjoy a bit of comfort in some of the most beautiful tented camps in northern Tanzania with Ang’Ata Camps & Safaris!
I will be exploring the famous Serengeti Park (I saw countless documentaries on tv about this beautiful park!) and discover the Ngorongoro area for some unforgettable game drives. I’m so looking forward to visiting Tanzania and spotting the famous the “Big 5”: Aka, the most dangerous predators in Africa: Lions, Rhinos, Elephants, Leopards, and Buffalos.
January 8th – Onwards:
THE BIG UNKNOWN!
Up till this point, my itinerary is well defined, and believe me, it wasn’t an easy task to combine the dates, the routes and to find the perfect companies/tour operators that reflected the spirit of my trip and could offer me the experiences I wanted for my first visit in Africa.
So far I still haven’t bought a return ticket, as I want to see where the path will bring me. From my past experiences, I know that on a trip of this scale anything is possible.
I’m so looking forward to the unknown part of this trip as improvising is sometimes the best way to travel!
My original plan was to join an overland trip starting in Tanzania and ending in South Africa, a place that I was very curious to visit.
Unfortunately, the company I wanted to use for this purpose couldn’t accommodate me, which was (so far) my only disappointment as I was looking forward to trying their adventurous trip and ending my glorious African experience in Cape Town.
But hey, nothing is set in stone so I might come up with some new exciting last minute idea that will mess up my plans as usual, so stay tuned!
THE BIG UNKNOWN TURNED INTO A TRIP TO THE SEYCHELLES!!!
A glorious ending to my amazing African Adventure
This is me, beach bumming in the deserted Anse Soleil beach in the Seychelles. A place out of this world!
I have to admit it, when my plan to go all the way down from Tanzania to Cape Town overland failed, I was super bummed. I truly wanted to do that trip. Little did I know that sometimes something even better is waiting for us!
In the end, after months of not seeing my beloved sea, I decided to fulfill a lifelong dream and to go to the Seychelles (more on this deserved relaxing week in a separate post, with amazing pictures of the beaches and the lovely accommodations I stayed in).
Needless to say, this was the perfect ending to an incredible, once in a lifetime trip!
All in all, even after writing this post I still feel the same:
I DON’T BELIEVE THAT THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING BUT … IT IS AND I’M OVER THE MOON!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A Philosopher Lion 😉 Source: Wikimedia.org
The idea behind this post was sharing my pre-trip emotions and organization. Then I realized that the emotions were so overwhelming that with half post still to write, I had already written an obscene amount of words.
So I decided that instead of writing a poem in here, mixing emotions and practical advice, I will be writing a second post with useful info for you, as I want to share what I’ve learned during these months of pre-trip organization.
A post where I will be talking about:
- How I chose my tour operators
- How I created my packing list for Africa (everything included)
- What kind of gear did I buy for the occasion (I have a shiny new backpack!!)
- Visas and practical advice to take into account during the planning stages
- My special packing list for clothes
- Essential items you can’t leave at home
- Safety /Insurance advice
- Services that helped me in having a much smoother experience
Basically all I needed to research for months not only on the internet but also talking to the people who already experienced a long-term trip to Africa.
Obviously this post will be related to my pre-trip experience, and as soon as I will be back I’ll back up this information with my real experience to give you an honest recap on where I did the right choices and what I might have completely overlooked.
Planning a trip to Africa is exciting but definitely not easy, especially if you have an adventurous / spontaneous spirit like me!
MY “AFRICAN” MISSION: DON’T BE SCARED OF AFRICA!
Ok, This might not seem the appropriate picture to convince you not to be afraid, but it explains my point quite well 🙂
All I know is that even with my ridiculous hypochondria: “Oh my, I’m going to be eaten alive by a lion! I’ll end up being chased by an angry hippo, what if I meet a Black Mamba ( not the Uma Thurman blondie version?)” I still want to show you that traveling to Africa could be the experience of a lifetime!
Or at least this is what I hope it will happen to me, but I have good vibes already!!
I don’t know when my next blog post will be published… I won’t have much internet connection in Africa and to be completely honest with you, I feel relieved.
To really discover Africa you need to unplug, look up at the stars and breath in the beauty of nature and the absolute freedom!
This is what I really want from a trip I’ve been dreaming about since I was a little girl!
Comments
Pingback: Top 6 Amazing Tree House Hotels That Will Make You...Fall From The Tree! - KEEP CALM AND TRAVEL
Pingback: Why I Won’t change Who I Am Because I’m A Travel Blogger. - KEEP CALM AND TRAVEL
Pingback: My Trip To Africa! One Week Camping In South Namibia & Top Things To See - KEEP CALM AND TRAVEL
super post i like it 🙂
Thanks Jack!
Wow awesome article thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by!
What a beautiful place. Nice pictures!
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Mike! I can’t wait to put my own picture up very soon! 🙂
Africa has also felt like the motherland of places to travel. Void of the amenities and safety of a lot of other countries and yet so rich in people and things to do. Can’t wait to go next year!
Neil, I’ve been back from Africa almost 3 months now and I am stunned to see that I still CAN’T write about it. And not because I have nothing to say… oh gosh, when I’m ready I think I’ll never stop, but simply because I had so many incredible memories and emotions still to process that the words don’t come out. Every time I try… it’s not nearly enough to express what Africa did to me. It’s amazing.
Hi! I really like this post, it’s really interesting.
When I read it I was able to imagine everything you’ve written. The photos did the remaider 😉
You’ve included in few words the essential things to see and to do.
Africa is the place where mother nature is the real queen!! 🙂
Africa is amazing! I can’t wait to write and share my experiences and pictures of my 2 months in there. That was THE trip of my life!
I mean… You were in a place where everything is different from our reality. It’s a real wild place and I love it
It was indeed. Africa, is something that I can barely describe in words using my native language (Italian), let alone in English. But I’ll do my best. It left a tattoo on my heart forever!
I like Maasai Mara, Kenya, I’m a big-cat junkie, there is only one place to go. Come rain or shine, Kenya’s Maasai Mara national reserve always delivers. Here in one day you can photograph a leopard up a tree, look into the amber eyes of a cheetah and come face to face with a whole pride of lions. No wonder the BBC chose it for its Big Cat Diary television series. This is where I saw my first simba, roaring from the top of a termite mound with the morning dew glistening all around him, and where I got to know the Musiara Marsh lions years before the BBC made them known to millions.
Masaai Mara is indeed one of the best place to see the big cats! I was lucky to spot a whole family with 6 cubs and 2 leopards on the tree (during 2 different safaris) I will post the pictures when I write the article for Kenya as they were indeed lovely! I also found that Tanzania is another great place to spot our lovely cats. I saw so many in there as well. Not a surprise as the Masaai Mara and the Serengeti are basically the “same” park but in different African countries so they have a lot in common! All in all my African experience was incredible! I think that each country I visited presented something unique (for example I also spotted the rare tree climbing lions in Uganda) and I was also lucky to see the lions mating just a few meters away from our car in Etosha national Park in Namibia.
No wonder that my African trip will remain THE trip of my life, for so many reasons!
Hi – Enjoying your blog and travels. I am a fellow travel lover. Have a great time on your trip. I visited West Africa and look forward to one day visiting Kenya.
BTW – Would you mind telling me the name of the font you use for your blog title? I really like it but can’t figure out the name of it.
Thanks
Thanks, Devon! Kenya is definitely an amazing place to visit 🙂 If you have time, also take a trip to Tanzania! As for the font I used it’s Oswald, I like it very much too!
Cheers
Clelia
Wow! Africa seems like an amazing place to travel. Such a lovely post!
After being back, I can tell you that I fell madly in love with Africa. I never cried so much as I did on my way back to Europe!
Wow, I hope to meet Africa one day.
To meet Africa… you need to go, she’s a lazy one! Not moving anywhere soon 🙂
It’s a great post I have read today 🙂
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Really Nice Article,Wonderful Experinece,thanks for sharing us..
Thanks Sourav, it was indeed an unforgettable experience!
Wow ! Its a great fun, I hope your trip would be amazing and your photographs are truly beautiful. After reading your blog i am very excited about Africa trip and you spent their two days but i will try to stay there for at least 5 days.
Thanks for sharing your great moments. 🙂
Mary
Thanks Mary, I actually stayed in Africa for 2 months, not 2 days (that would be almost impossible!) 🙂
Can’t wait to publish the pictures and the articles of the best trip of my life (so far!)
Wow, Africa! So how did it go? I hope to visit Africa some day. By the way, I like your photo of Coron, Philippines. I love it there. I look forward to your succeeding posts.
Thanks Claire… how did it go?! Only reading your question brings tears to my eyes! I’m back not even since 2 weeks and I am still thinking about it every single day, sometimes I think it was only a dream… It’s not been all roses and flowers I can tell you that, but worth it? OH YES! 100%
Hey Clelia Mattana,
Very Nice Post in sharing photos.
Thanks Maliram, More to come, stay tuned 🙂
Oh, this is fantastic! I had a small taste of Africa with a sojourn to Morocco but your itinerary has me yearning for bigger and deeper adventure! Wishing you the best on your trip, can’t wait to hear more about it!
Thank you Daphne… I couldn’t recommend my itinerary enough. It’s been beyond amazing. Some of the memories I have of my trip are tattooed in my heart forever! It will be difficult yet exciting to write the articles about this whole experience as it was literally overwhelming. Too many incredible things, emotions, sensational feelings. Gosh I miss all that so much!
I hardly finished reading this post and is jealous now already. the place has almost becomes your second home i guess. can’t wait to read your adventurous trip. season’s greetings and enjoy
Thanks Ahmed… I’m still here and all I can say is: THERE WILL BE SOOOO MUCH TO WRITE ABOUT!!! i love Africa, even if it’s exhausting at times, it’s so worth it that I can’t even start saying why. You have to try for yourself!
I LOVE to read your posts.just discover your site from somewhere. great sharing your story & experiences. i will recommend this site to my friends out there.
Thanks a lot Kereta!
Omg I am so unbelievably jealous! Can’t wait to pop back and read about your trip!
Stacey…I still have to visit other 3 countries and today I bought my return ticket (finishing my trip in Tanzania after a week in the Seychelles!!) I’m already sad as I have a return ticket. And it says it all!!
Whoa! I’m excited for your trip to Africa! It’s my dream travel too but I just don’t when can I fulfill that dream. I hope it will be so soon! And I noticed that you’ve been to Coron, Palawan, Philippines! Wow! You had a great photo there! I’m from the Philippines specifically in Cagayan de Oro City but I haven’t gone to Coron yet. I bet you really loved it there, right? Anyways, wishing you to have a safe trip. 🙂
Ah Jeff! The Philippines are another incredible place I love with all my heart!! You have to visit Africa tough….this is so different and incredible (also damn tiring and challenging but it’s part of the beauty of traveling!)
Glad to hear you love our country. Please do visit us again in the future! And true, that’s what I love about traveling. It’s more of realizing things and self-reflection. 🙂
Absolutely…I can’t wait to go back to my favorite continent! <3
Great post. I assume you are unplugged and having a great time. Can’t wait to hear about your adventures when you return. Safe travels!
Thanks Samantha, yes I let my blog go for a little while but tried to update a few pics on my social media 🙂
Much more to come. Africa is… there are no words to describe it really and I can’t wait to write all about my experience when I’m back (including getting malaria, but don’t get scared… it’s not as bad as people might think..anyway, more to come for sure!!)
Ahhhh Ryan! I’m writing from Namibia as I have a rest day, yes it is what they call “the trip of a life time”. I’ve been here for just a few days and WOW, words can not express the beauty of it!
I’ll be writing several articles when I’m back, including the different cost options. Travel in Africa is not as cheap as Asia but it’s worth every penny.
Plus there are cheapest options for adventurous spirits! In a few month it will be all on my blog. Including the packing lists, how to plan a big trip like this ( not easy!) visas etc!
Stay tuned :))
So excited for you Clelia!!! Wow, what a jam packed trip, but seems like you are fulfilling a life-long dream so get as much out of it as you can! Also, I’m curious as to how much a trip like this cost you? I’ve been dreaming of Africa for ages as well! Can you pack me too?
Beautiful scenery!I really want to visit Africa!!
Thanks! Can’t wait to finally discover more…starting from tomorrow!!
Really South Africa is a amazing experience.Even i would love to visit South Africa again.
Thanks Manoj! Just for calrity’s sake, this post is about Southern Africa, which includes more than South Africa 🙂 I’d love to visit the country since I’m here but it’s not 100% confimed. Fingers crossed!
Thanks for this post! What a great time it will be! Would love to experience this trip but have a few other countries on my bucket list at the moment!
Kathy, where are you going next? As for me, it took me years to realize the African dream and I’m looking forward to write all about it! Today I already spotted a Giraffe on my way from the airport!
Even with the tiredness of the long journey, I’m already in Love!!
Hey Clelia,
First time reader and commenter here – I can’t write as well as Niki but here are my thoughts on your Africa trip.
“To really discover Africa you need to unplug, look up at the stars and breath in the beauty of nature and the absolute freedom!” – this sentence really resonates with me. I’ve been dreaming of going Japan and eat all the ramens and sushis.
You’re such an inspiration.
Will subscribe to your blog and wait for upcoming blog post!
Remember, STAY CALM AND RUN AWAY FROM LION! haha.
Best regards,
Daniel
Thanks Daniel!
Tomorrow is going to be my last day still “plugged” to technology…after Friday… TOTAL FREEDOM! Canìt wait!
I love the way you live your emotions: you don’t deny your feelings, but you immerse yourself into them!
Even when they’re not pleasant, you fight.
Even when they’re fearful, you hope.
Even when they’re full of uncertainty, you believe.
You always believed that your life could have been better then:
10 working hours -feed yourself -sleep, the deadly routine that cage people’s mind.
And for that, I admire you.
I have to say, I’m relieved: in this world full of hate, ignorance, narrow-minded people and media manipulation, there is still someone who has the courage to live the life just the way it is. And her name is Clelia.
Clelia isn’t waiting the right moment to make her life a masterpiece.
Clelia isn’t waiting the weekend to fully live her life.
Clelia isn’t waiting vacations to let enthusiasm, curiosity and that beautiful female sixth sense be her best companions: they’re already her favourite travel buddies!
She carries a backpack full of respect, open-mindedness and acceptance on her backs.
Clelia, let me say: you’re a woman to marry.
To marry in a honeymoon trip of 365 days all around the world!
Thank you for being the person you are.
Niki
Wow Niki…
This is by far the sweetest message I’ve ever received! Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m not perfect, I make mistakes but I can’t see that I’m not trying to do what I feel is right for me 🙂
Thanks again!!
Whoa! I LOVE the Photography which you had taken, Nice keep it up.
Wow!! This trip sounds awesome!! I wish you a great time and look forward to reading future posts about your once-in-a-lifetime trip!
Thanks Stef, yes the trip is awesome… Now I’m freaking out a bit, but its normal. In fact.. it’s awesome!!!
I guess that the posts will flow like a river after such an experience. Can’t wait to write them!!