Friends in High, Low, and Far Places

            Over the past few weeks, I’ve been getting a wide variety of advice from my well-traveled friends about my upcoming trip. Similar to receiving monetary donations, getting the loads of advice and other kinds of support has made me realize, even more, how lucky I am to have such great friends. From telling me which airports are the best to fly through, to how to stay safe in areas like Johannesburg, to which hotels or backpackers’ accommodation to stay at before and between projects, I’ve gotten loads of suggestions and advice from friends that I know and trust. Sure, looking through a traveler’s guide would be a good resource, but receiving information in person from friends that have learned through direct experience feels so much better. Many of the zoo docents and staff have done quite a bit of traveling in their lives, to South Africa and beyond, and I feel really lucky to know all of them.

            I recently hung out with my friend Andrew, whom I mentioned in the last blog post. Having spent a good amount of time working in South Africa, he was quite a wealth of information about places I should definitely try to get to if I have the chance. A few days ago I also had lunch with another zoo staff member and friend of mine who’s done quite a bit of traveling with a master’s program she’s in. She told me some things I should definitely bring along, weather to prepare for, what airport is easiest to fly through, and other advice.

            Having a friend that actually worked at CARE baboon sanctuary a few years ago has also been really helpful in preparing. Looking at her pictures and videos, as well as hearing her stories about working there, is actually part of the reason I chose CARE as one of the projects to get involved with. Hearing from her has helped me decide a few more details about the trip, not to mention gotten me that much more excited about working there!

            Whenever I get new information, another donation, or another piece of advice from someone I know, it makes me realize all over again how great it is to have so many friends who have traveled to so many cool places around the world. More than just that, it also inspires me to continue traveling, so that one day I’ll be able to have the experience that they’ve had. See you in 77 days, Africa.

            This post’s food for thought: “I would rather walk with a friend in the dark than alone in the light.”- Helen Keller 

Excitement, Excursions, and Chimp Eden

            At this time last year I’d already had my first phone interview with Grand Teton Lodge Company, and was in the process of securing and planning what would become the best summer of my life. I think back about my time in Grand Teton National Park just about every day, and I still think that if I hadn’t done that last summer, I wouldn’t have this trip to Africa planned out. In the past few weeks I’ve seen a lot of the people I met in Wyoming posting on Facebook that they’re planning on going back this summer, mentioning the positions they have this year, and counting down the time until they’re back out in that beautiful park. It’s not making me sad, exactly, since I know that I’ll be spending this summer in the place I’ve dreamed of going my entire life. But, seeing those posts is definitely making me think back to this time last year, going through the application and interview process with Grand Teton Lodge Company, and looking through information and pictures about the park, the very diverse and beautiful collection of wildlife that lives there, and everything that wonderful place has to offer. I remember the feeling I got when I learned that I’d officially gotten the job at Jackson Lake Lodge, and how my excitement continued to grow as summer approached.

            Now, instead of reading all about that park, I’ve been looking all over the websites and information sent to me about the two projects I’ll be working with in South Africa. Someone recently asked me what I’m looking forward to most about this summer, and I had no idea how to answer. Not only am I excited about the two projects in their own right, but they also have multiple extra excursions offered. The great white shark project offers horseback riding, river rafting, kayaking with whales, zip lining, visiting a cheetah sanctuary, and wine tasting in Cape Town, along with others. CARE baboon sanctuary also offers safaris through Kruger National Park, the largest national park in South Africa, as well as visits to an elephant sanctuary, vervet monkey rescue center, and other nearby animal parks. Needless to say, I definitely want to take advantage of everything that I can during my time in Africa.

            One of the animal sanctuaries not far from CARE, that volunteers often visit, is a place called Chimp Eden. It’s the only chimpanzee sanctuary within South Africa. Andrew Oberle, a previous keeper at the San Antonio Zoo and a friend of mine, worked there a few years ago. I would definitely love to visit that place if I can; Andrew spoke about it in a presentation he gave to me and other zoo docents back in 2011, and ever since I’ve wanted to go see it. It looks like this summer, I could make multiple dreams come true! See you in 84 days, Africa.

            Today’s food for thought: “Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.”- J.K. Rowling

It's Official!

            Wednesday evening I officially submitted my deposit to Enkosini Eco Experience, securing my placement working in South Africa this summer. I’ll be working with the great white shark project from May 15 to June 14 and CARE Baboon Sanctuary from June 15 to July 20. Yesterday afternoon I took down my calendar and wrote down the number of days remaining on every space from now until I’m in Africa; 97 days to go.

            While looking at my Grand Teton National Park calendar, I also was reminded that about this time last year I was beginning to look into applying to national parks for summer jobs. I can honestly say that if I hadn’t spent last summer working up in Wyoming, I don’t think I’d have this trip to Africa planned out right now. Spending those months far away from home, around people that have been all over the world really inspired me to get out and explore some more. It was really nice to come back home and see all my friends and family again, but last summer started something inside me that’s been hard to ignore. It truly feels like I developed some kind of inner drive or “itch” to get out and travel. I’ve always dreamed of going off to Africa, but last summer gave me the extra motivation to stop just dreaming and start planning to make this trip a reality. Since the planning has begun I’ve really gotten the feeling that my life is getting ready to change permanently, and that feeling is getting stronger every day. Submitting my deposit Wednesday evening felt almost surreal. It made me breathe a sigh of relief knowing that my placement is now officially secured, and looking at the amount of the deposit also made me think about my wonderful friends that contributed to my fund. I couldn’t be making this lifelong dream come true without you guys. To those that donated, I guarantee you that it hasn’t gone unnoticed or unappreciated, and your money is being well spent!

            I met several people in Wyoming that lived what I guess could be called kind of a vagabond lifestyle. They simply loved to travel, and wanted to see as much of the world as they could, while they were still able to. That lifestyle wasn’t something that I’d really given too much thought to before last summer, but it was actually quite fascinating to make friends with people that had been all over the place. They had stories of places they’d been, some of their favorite spots, where they wanted to go next, and it made me want to see some of the places that they’d seen. One thing I have people tell me pretty regularly is that it’s great that I’m doing things like this trip to Africa now, at my age, while I don’t have too many commitments tying me down to one particular place or person. I’m glad that I’ve chosen now to turn this dream into a reality, and I’m still so thankful for the incredible experience I had last summer. Summer 2014 was the best summer of my life so far- let’s see if I can make summer of 2015 even better!

            Food for thought tonight: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”- Saint Augustine

One Hundred Days And Counting!

            I didn’t really intend to turn this into a countdown, but I guess that’s what’s happening. In my last post I said that I had 125 days left until I start working in South Africa. Now, that number has gone down to exactly 100 days! This truly is getting more real every day. Whenever I look at the website of the programs I’ll be working with, read about them, or talk to people about them, I get this new feeling that’s hard to describe. Yes, it’s excitement and happiness, but it’s more than that. Multiple people have asked me if I’m apprehensive or scared. I guess they have reason to wonder that. I’ll be traveling across national (and continental) borders for the first time in my life, and I’ll be completely on my own. I’ll be going to an area about 9,000 miles- pretty much half a world- away from the place I’ve always called home. I’ll be spending most of my summer in an area many people think of as one of the most dangerous places in the world, for a variety of areas, from disease to limited medical care to crime. Above all that, I’ll be working with great white sharks and baboons- both potentially very dangerous animals. And am I worried about any of that? I can honestly say not really. Yes, I know there are risks associated with what I’m doing, but if people spend their entire lives focusing mainly on avoiding risks, they’d lead an incredibly boring life. I’m typically not one to use modern cliché terms, but the phrase “you only live once” is true. Breaking down the risks I’ve mentioned into categories makes them easier to think about, so here goes.

            As I said, this will be my first time traveling internationally, and I’ll be traveling without any family or friends. Thankfully, it’s not my first time traveling by plane on my own. I took two planes to get back home from Wyoming at the end of last summer, and though I was by myself, it was incredibly easy. The most difficult part, I guess, was at the Dallas airport where I changed planes, because I had a fairly short layover and had to get from pretty much one end of the airport to the other (if any of you have ever been in the Dallas airport, it’s really big). Despite that, I still got to my gate with some time to spare. I know, of course, that the trip from Texas to South Africa is on a much larger scale than the one from Wyoming to Texas, but I think I’m familiar enough with airports that I’ll be fine.

            Next, of course, there’s the diseases that everyone knows are all throughout Africa. Both of the projects I’ll be with are in malaria free areas, so that’s not on my mind at all. When I started planning this trip was about the time that all the hype of Ebola was going on, so several people mentioned that first when I told them I was headed to Africa. Look at a map, people. South Africa and west Africa are nowhere near each other. Now look at the facts about Ebola. You can’t get it from simply being around it. It’s passed by body fluids only. I won’t kiss anybody from west Africa, guys. Other than that, there are a few shots that are required or at least recommended to get before traveling to South Africa (tetanus, hepatitis, and meningitis mainly) and I’ve already got that taken care of. Again, I’m not worried.

            Not surprisingly, the area of South Africa with the highest crime rate is in and around its largest city, Johannesburg. Neither of my projects are anywhere near that city, and I’ll only be in it for a very short time, while traveling in between them. I know the precautions to take in order to stay safe, and I plan to follow them. Relax, everybody.

            Now, last but not least, I know that there are risks of working with almost any type of wildlife, and great white sharks and baboons are certainly no exception. Let me make it clear that the organization I’ll be working for considers their volunteers’ safety of “paramount importance”, to take a little quote from the organization itself. All projects are run with the safety of volunteers constantly in mind.

            When I told people that I was going up to Wyoming to work last summer, a lot of people responded with saying that I was very brave to do so. That response surprised me at first, probably because I wasn’t scared at all by what I was doing. Some people that know me know that one weird characteristic that I have is I simply don’t get nervous- ever. Whether I’m about to go into a job interview, am about to get up on stage in front of a lot of people, am taking an important test, or doing anything else that would make other people squirm, I’m able to remain as calm and relaxed as ever. It doesn’t even feel like a choice, but rather that my brain just lacks whatever it is that triggers that response in others. I know that nervousness and fear aren’t exactly the same thing, but they’re similar, so maybe that’s part of why I’m not afraid of my approaching adventure. I think I can understand why others would feel scared if they were in my position, but, when I think about heading to Africa in May, I just feel excitement, happiness… and something else that I still can’t find an exact word for. Maybe I’ll be able to describe it better next time.