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