“Thank you. I bow in gratitude for the gift of you that you have shared. The Wednesday morning emails became balm for my anxious soul. You continue to inspire me.”
It was still dark, with a faint hint of light on the horizon when the call came in to our guides— leopard sighting out on the savannah under a lone tree. We hastily climbed into the trucks, pulling our hats down around our ears in the chill of the African morning…
Read MoreGetting a glimpse of a leopard is always a thrill; they are such secretive and exotic cats. When we pulled up along the creek there was a commotion in the bushes—sex in the shrubbery! A few minutes later a gorgeous female leopard strolled out—hello Fig.
Read MoreI have lots of hope. And when I’m in a natural, wild place, then I remember. I remember that I need to think more consciously. That I need to make more conscious choices. I think we learn more through delight and awe and wonder than we do through lectures about how nasty we are and how stupid we are. So that’s the gate I want to come through.
Read MoreI couldn’t believe our luck when we discovered a “journey” of giraffes browsing beside the road early in the morning. Two young calves hung out together, simultaneously curious and hesitant about us. They trained their eyes and ears on our vehicles. When the calf turned to look at me, I could see that her ears and nose were still crusted with fluid from her mother’s womb. So young, so new, so beautiful.
Read MoreMy head turned abruptly at sudden action and loud trumpeting at the edge of my peripheral vision. I craned my neck to see what was happening from my cramped position on the floor of the safari vehicle. A family of 7 elephants, trunks and tails held high, were running pell-mell across the savannah. A large matriarch shook her head wildly as she raced towards us in panic…
Read MoreAll sacred journeys require a guide. Three nights, that’s all I had in Amboseli. Three nights, a long weekend really, yet those 3 nights and corresponding days changed me. My time in Amboseli was a spiritual quest, not just a photographic safari. I did not acknowledge that when I booked those 3 nights in January 2020. I only know this now, in hindsight.
Read MoreI did my best yesterday to haul myself out of a deep sense of grief. I felt lost. I missed being with my children and grandchildren on this holiday weekend. I could not shift it. There was grief in my body, in the news, in the atmosphere. It would not go away.
Read MoreUncertainty makes us nervous. The adjectives “unprecedented,” “uncharted,” and “uncertain” are clichés in the Time of Corona. Daily life on the savannah of the Maasai Mara is a drama that lives every minute in “uncertain time.” Every morning is a triumph of the survival of a species and a potential meal for another.
Read MoreThe sense that the endless procession of elephants was for my personal growth? I balked at the thought—to claim such sacred moment for myself felt egotistical. Yet that’s how it felt. … My time in Amboseli continues to speak to me, like a dream that is so big that it refuses to let me forget and slip back into unconsciousness.
Read MoreI know stories of elephants mourning. I know they visit the bones of their family members where they have died. I’ve seen the skulls, been told how the elephants touch them, smell them with their trunks. I’ve heard about elephant mothers that stand by a baby’s corpse for days. I’ve heard how elephants will try to lift up a recently dead family member, how they call out, trumpet, and shuffle around the body.
Read MoreI was awestruck – these elephants were HUGE. We were so CLOSE! “I’ll see if I can get closer,” said Julius. “Closer?!” the danger signal in my brain squeaked, as Julius navigated through the bushes to the other side of the tree revealing Tim in full view. The huge bulls gazed at us, nonplussed by the intrusion, eventually sauntering out into the open to graze.
Read MoreThe Big Tusker Tim is dead. I am shocked and heartbroken. On January 7th, I flew to Amboseli following my dream of seeing the Big Tuskers of Amboseli, Kenya’s largest elephants. Images of Tim, a massive elephant of 6+ tons, a global celebrity and icon for wildlife protection, fueled my imagination…
Read MoreAs the new year begins, I’m thrilled to report that, thanks to you, my first Heartfelt Endeavours campaign raised a total of $6079 for Kisaruni High School in rural Kenya! Your contribution will have a ripple effect in the lives of these students and their communities.
Read MoreIn Kenya, even though education is free, there are many barriers to education, particularly for girls: early marriage, poverty, poor health, traditional domestic roles for females, gender-based biases. I’ve witnessed how these girls are transformed by their experience at WE primary schools.
Read MoreWatching the sun rise on the Maasai Mara fuels attention and astonishment. Seeing Africa’s iconic lions in their natural setting is like stepping through the TV screen into the magic of Africa. Even after a few years of game drives in Kenya, being in the midst of African wildlife still feels like a pinch me moment.
Read MoreFlexibility is an essential quality when travelling, even more so when travelling to wild places. Would Joseph make this moving target? I had to trust it would all work out. As the landing strip came into view, I could see three trucks lined up along the edge of the runway. Two bright red Maasai tunics stood beside one of the vehicles. Was it Joseph and Dominic?
Read MoreIn South Africa there is a philosophy called Ubuntu that roughly translates to “I am because you are”. I remember one of the Maasai staff at the first camp I stayed at showing concern when one of our group members wasn’t feeling well. He said to her “If you’re not well I’m not well.” That is Ubuntu.
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