Dare You To Move

            After a lifetime of dreaming and nearly nine months of planning, the process of finalizing this trip seems to be complete! My project costs are paid, I’ve got my passport, my flights are booked and paid for, my first night’s stay in a hostel in Cape Town is booked, complete with transfer from the airport, travel insurance is set up, my credit card company has been notified… sounds like everything is taken care of!

            I only have five shifts at my job left before my leave of absence starts. In a way I’m happy about that since it means that my adventure is getting very close. I also can’t forget that if I didn’t have that job, this trip couldn’t be happening. The many hours I’ve spent making lattes and other drinks for people have definitely been worth it when it comes to the dream they’ve helped turn into reality. My coworkers have been really fun to work with, and I honestly will miss joking around with them this summer.

            The zoo has recently started advertising zoo summer camp, and it makes me just a little sad to see. Zoo camp was a big part of my life for many years, both as a volunteer and a staff member, and it’s kind of hard to know that another summer of zoo camp will go by that I won’t be involved in. Again, knowing that I’ll be in Africa swimming with sharks and taking care of baby baboons very soon, it’s hard to be too sad about what I’m missing here. But seeing the advertisements still make me a little nostalgic.

            I definitely still have people asking me if I’m nervous about this upcoming trip. I’ve answered no to that question from the beginning, but I think a lot of people assume that, since the trip’s getting very close now, my answer will change. I know a lot of people might not feel nervous about something until the last minute, but I can still only feel excitement about it. My excitement definitely feels like it’s grown with each passing day, as my arrival in Africa gets closer and closer. That’s probably largely due to the fact that all the planning, even the smaller details, is now totally taken care of, so I can relax and think about the trip, without stressing about getting all the prep work done.

            The main thing people still seem to think I should be worried about is the fact that I’m traveling out there alone, without any family or friends by my side. I’ve been told plenty of things that could go wrong, and my response is pretty simple. We could play that “what if” game all day when it comes to this trip. Of course there are risks. Yes, it’s my first time traveling internationally. Yes, I’ll be alone. Yes, I lack a y chromosome. No, none of that will stop me from going on this adventure. As I love to say, my drug of choice is adrenaline. I love the moments in life that really get your heart pounding, and I know this trip will bring plenty of them. That’s what I’m focused on.

            Guess that’s enough for this post. See you in 20 days, Africa- and I’ve got a feeling it’ll be the longest 20 days of my life!

            This post’s food for thought: “A ship is always safe at the shore- but that is NOT what it is built for.”- Albert Einstein