Reflections on a Bucket-List Trip to Africa

My husband and I took a bucket list trip to Africa in May.  I have wanted to visit Africa all of my life and the time was finally right.  We started in Tanzania by visiting rural farmers in Plant With Purpose groups.  These visits were especially significant since my husband helped start and run Plant With Purpose 40 years ago when it was birthed in the Dominican Republic.  Participants in the program have a higher standard of living than they did before participating and they pool their savings and make loans to each other to build simple homes, pay school fees for their children and do other things.  The welcome we received when our group visited the community groups was overwhelmingly warm.   

After leaving the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro where we stayed our first three days on the trip we flew to the Serengeti where we had three days of amazing safari time.  The variety of the animals and their proximity to our vehicle, along with the amazing views and the people we met were all incredible.

A day in Nairobi included feeding giraffes and visiting the Sheldrick Elephant Nursery.  Both were very enjoyable and memorable.

A flight south took us to Victoria Falls and then a drive west to the Botswana-Namibia border where we took a three-day cruise on the Chobe River.  Very relaxing and delightful.

Our trip ended in Victoria Falls where we enjoyed seeing the Falls and being enveloped in the mist and rain from the Falls.

People often say Africa changes you.  I now know why.  It is hard to put into words the reasons for this.  It’s some mystical combination of the resilience of the people, seeing countless animals in their own habitat, and the vastness and beauty of the land.

Being away in such a unique-to-me place was restorative.  Time away from work, whether or not you can travel, is imperative for all leaders.  I’m taking the next two weeks off from posting on Social Media.  I’ll see you back here in September!