African Safari

I have been blessed (or cursed) with a serious case of wanderlust.  It began with a study abroad trip to France my senior year in college and it has only gotten worse.  Since I am a teacher, I try to take an international trip every summer (this summer I am going to Russia).  I thought I would share highlights from some of my most recent trips.  I must start with my African Safari in 2012 because it was definitely the trip of a lifetime.

Karen Blixen's house (author of Out of Africa) outside of Nairobi.

Feeding my new friend at Giraffe Manor.

Masai warriors.

Some of my favorite pictures of the animals from various game drives in Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, and Amboseli National Parks in Kenya and Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro National Parks in Tanzania.  I loved Amboseli for the elephants and Tarangire for the lions.

The most memorable moment on safari was watching a lioness stalk and then kill a wildebeest.  It sounds very brutal but it was exhilarating to see.  It is very rare to see a "kill" and our game driver even took pictures.

Some of the unbelievably cool places where I stayed on this trip.  My favorite was the Ark in Aberdare National Park.  To get to it, you walked along a long wooden bridge through the trees.  You were literally in the middle of a wildlife preserve.  You could leave a wake-up call for when a specific animal came near and I requested elephants.  I got my first glimpse of my favorite animals in the middle of the night wearing my pajamas.  It was magical.

The five-star resort in Tarangire National Park wasn't too shabby either!  I loved sitting on my private balcony watching the animals as I read each afternoon (game drives were early in the morning and in the evening).

When I think back on this trip it seems like a dream.  There were so many amazing moments and I was forever changed by Africa.