"Gonna do the things we never haaaaaaad"

How do I describe the experience of a lifetime?
---Easily, I tell you to go look at the photos!

I am in Cape Town now. The last of the 23 overlanders who have all returned home or continued their journeys. These 23 beautiful adventurers who have become a family on what was our home: Fanny, the big, yellow truck that brought us from Nairobi, Kenya to Cape Town, South Africa. These people (mostly English and mostly under 22) who brought such enthusiasm and passion, made my experience in Africa as special as it was. So a thousand thanks to Meg & Will, Beth, Ollie C, Alethea, V, Ed, Add, Joe, Tom, Nicky, Cath & Mike, Alan, Javiera, Jason, Chell & Sarah, Jo, Charlie, Ben and Olly G. And a big applause to Stu, our 'wicked' driver and Princess Kristy, our tour leader.

My parents traveled to Kenya and Tanzania over 30 years ago and I'm confidant that Africa is the only place that I thought Pete might have ever visited me. So as I stuck my head out from the roof of our Range Rover in Serengeti, and we sped looking for the last of our Big 5 sightings, the leopard, it is no wonder that I thought my trip had finally begun. Being on Fanny and part of a tour let me relax and live in the present. I no longer needed to think of the next step or plan in advance. Everything I enjoyed was to the fullest because I was living inside every moment. Looking back, it's funny to me how anxious and hesitant I was about any kind of group travel-thinking independent travel was the only way to go and worried that I couldn't back out if I wanted to. I was wrong.

It is completely impossible to describe all of the crazy and amazing experiences I've collected while in Africa. According to country, here is a short list of the highlights:

Tanzania:seeing 4/5 Big 5 in Ngorongoro Crater in this order: elephant, buffalo, lion, black rhino, dancing on the beach (and tables) in Zanzibar, the first night at Snake Park where we celebrated my Birthday 4 days late (and no I wasn't sick), staying up all night at Macardi Beach, volleyball, sunset and watching shooting stars in Serengeti, DB, our 1st booze cruise, being called Mzungu's (white people), Kilimanjaro Beer

Malawi: Lake Malawi in general, dancing with kids at local dinner, hiking up to Livingstonia (and hitching back--shhh), crazy t-shirt night (HOOTERS), larium dreams, NOT roasting the pig at Kande Beach, bush camping and the song game (one love, one heart), the children chasing Fanny as we drove, leaving the aggressive touts in Tanzania for the friendly faces in Malawi

Zambia: S. Luanga National Park, night game drive and all of the stars, the first leopard spotting, elephants invading our campsite at Flatdogs, flying with Pete during the world's 2nd highest bungee jump, booze cruise #2, house boat on Lake Kariba: twirling with Ollie C, spelling with our bodies, watching the stars with Add, coming in 1st (alright 4th) during Trivia Night, keeping Stu up all night ;), swapping tents and watching all the confused campers crawl into the wrong tent

Botswana: Canoe ride through Okavango Delta, Olly's Birthday, dancing around the fire doing the Kudu dance and listening to stories told in the click language, flying over the Okavango Delta (we were so low, there was grass on our landing wheels!)

Namibia: Etosha National Park: proper leopard spotting, the flood lit watering holes with Olly the first night and V the second, desert tour in the Namib, skydiving, worlds best toilets bush camping and our Christmas in June, climbing to the top of Spitzkoppe and then sleeping under the stars, playing Snow White in Nicky's pantomime "Snow white and the Dirty Dwarfs", the love shack in Swakopmund, 75km/hr sand boarding, eating ostrich, kudu and gemsbock--delicious!


South Africa: having the piss taken out of Americans by Joe and Ben for the entire 6hr drive day, wine tasting, the 5 minutes on Table Mtn. before it started to hail, Cupcakes on Long St., Chinese food night in the guesthouse (Thanks Lovelies) and learning how to cook apple crumble!

Trip Highlights: Any and all upgrades or tent sharing ;), volleyball, tent time with Alethea, dancing with Ben while we cooked and cleaned, picking up some ridiculous English slang (zeb-ra not zee-bra, I get it!), snuggling in Fanny and staring out the window listening to a particular i-pod.

We slept in tents named after African beers (Hansa, you rock), took cold showers, cooked delicious meals for 25-save the 2 chili nights, took malaria tablets, had daily bowel movement conversations (thanks nurse Beth), applied and reapplied moisturizers, helped to peel each others skin and wounds, laughed til we cried, jumped off things together and shared our best and not-quite-best moments together.

I'm so thankful for this gorgeous experience with these colorful people and that I couldn't postpone it as I had wished. Thanks to Stu on his last overland trip and to Kristy for telling us we were her best group. Thanks to the person who made this trip magical :) ...Truly Unforgettable....

"If you could change one thing about this trip...?"
"I wouldn't."