The last almost-three years have not been good for any of us. For various reasons emotional and mental, it really did a job on me. I've been somewhat hesitant to rejoin the human race, and if I do so, it's still fully masked and as socially distant as I can be. But at some point, I have to take the next steps and get back out there. I have to reclaim my life while at the same time helping myself heal. I'm desperate to feel normal again.
We lost my Dad in April of last year. It wasn't directly pandemic-related but was not entirely expected at that point either. Another emotional reckoning indelibly tied to the pandemic. More reason to hunker down and lick my wounds. More justification for not returning to society. I felt safer at home and just being with those closest to me. The isolation I wrapped myself in was an enormous emotional security blanket.
Not to say I didn't try. I dabbled in some domestic travel that felt "safe" to me. A few trips to Los Angeles where we stayed at our favorite hotel and were doted on by familiar staff, soaking up the rays of southern California poolside and at outdoor restaurants. A road trip to Brooklyn and Newark to see our favorite crooner on tour. Each excursion served its purpose, got me packing suitcases and traveling again. But none scratched the itch. You know what I'm talking about.
Kenya.
I kicked around Turkey (going so far as to get a custom itinerary) and Jordan. But for the time I wanted to go and how desperate I am to heal and be healed (self care is not selfish!), all signs pointed to Kenya. Once I get over the 20+ hours of travel to get there, it's all outdoors. My camps are all small, no more than 12-15 people if they are full. I'll be back where I love, doing what I love.
I reached out to Richard at Expert Africa. He'd put together an itinerary for me in November 2021 that I ultimately could not take. He has, quite literally, written the book on Kenya safari. I had done enough vicarious safari-going on social media the last few years that I knew pretty much what I wanted. On the fifth trip to Kenya, it is time to visit somewhere new, so I chose Lakipia and Samburu in the north. And I will of course end my time with 5 nights in the Maasai Mara, my favorite place on earth, also staying in camps that are new to me.
What is better about this than safaris past is that I only have to wait 9 weeks from booking to departure, which is practically spur of the moment for me who usually books a year in advance! I was utterly blessed that Richard could make my dates and camps work. Hell, I'm already packing...gear out of storage, cosmetic bag packed!
So with airfare, trip insurance and safari all booked and paid for, I'm in for the wait. Already I've ticked three of those weeks off. What I am looking forward to most is being taken care of. Just showing up each day and having others, including Mother Nature, make it happen. I crave the warmth of a Kenyan summer, the laziness of the midday siestas, the anticipation and surprise that unfolds in every game drive, the vibration of a middle of the night lion roar. And I want to feel like me again. Not afraid, not sad, not wary. I've dreamt of safari these last three years. I hope Kenya is ready to welcome me back.
