The night before...

As with every trip, I like to post a "night before departure" post.

This Africa trip has been an interesting one to plan. I guess it's not necessarily out of the ordinary for me, but this one especially has been one of extreme nerves, total peace, extreme anxiety, complete calm... This is also the first time there has been someone back home that I'm dreading leaving behind.

I can't wait to experience all of the things on my itinerary and finally be able to blab about all the details of my trip that I can't yet spill! 

In keeping with tradition, my current "song on repeat" for the trip is: Touch The Sky

My heart beating, my soul breathing
I found my life when I laid it down
Upward falling, spirit soaring
I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground

There has been a lot of prayer over this trip and this song has been such a good reminder of letting go of worries and fears. Easier said than done, especially when it comes to my own life, but nonetheless it has been calming me down. :)

Next post will be from SA!!  Hello 24 hour travel day! (That's just travel... I'll be up for a lot more than 24 hours! Ick!)

Patriotism... and such

I woke up this morning and a song popped into my head:

God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood

I couldn't get it out of my mind... So I listened to it a couple of times and it made me very... happy. 

After 9-11 I was the most patriotic and proud American there ever was. And then I lost that somewhere. It had come back in glimpses every now and then, but there were times it was definitely more of an annoyance to be from the U.S.

I think part of it had to do with my travels... And going overseas and seeing other people from the U.S. who were either ignorant or obnoxious or uncultured or disrespectful or a bad combination of all of the above. 

It was hearing the thoughts of locals that also turned me off ... And the biased media that gets blasted around the world about us. I kid you not-one time in New Zealand I was listening to the radio and the news story was about a girl from the U.S. going to court for throwing a furby at her boyfriend. WHY is that making news in New Zealand ? Stuff like that just makes me feel stupid. Or when the U.S. has a reputation of being lazy and fat or liking McDonald's too much. 

But I woke up this morning and couldn't get the song out of my head. And listening to it made me happy and proud. And I thought about all the fear and anxiety in preparation for both my Asia and Africa trips and I remembered how fortunate we are to be living here. We don't have to worry about the same kinds of things going on in other parts of the world. I'm not saying the U.S. is the best country in the world... We all have our issues. But the U.S. is a pretty darn good country in my opinion. 

I might still claim to be Canadian from time to time (especially when the big American tours come around with their big American flags)... But I am proud of my country. And I love my country. I don't say it enough, but I do. (And I love my other countries too!)

#oneweekcountdown 

Countdown to departure!

Less than 3 weeks away for my AFRICA trip! Not going to lie… I was in a tiny state of panic the other week when I realized I had 10 different things still needing to be booked, but I’m back on track now! J

I’m starting out in Cape Town and hitting up Plettenberg Bay along the way... then ending my time at a private game reserve. Activities will include animal sanctuaries, safaris, shark cage diving, city tours, bungy jumping, Hillsong, and more! :)

I will include references once I get  home of where I stayed, which companies I used, things I did, etc. but because I'm already a paranoid person those are staying on the DL for now.  :)

A lot of people have expressed concern for me going to Africa by myself...and I do have some worries, but the worries aren't any different than when I traveled to Europe or Australia by myself.  I've read plenty of articles,  blogs, safety concerns, etc. and I'd like to think of myself as a pretty travel savvy person.  Anything can happen anywhere at any time.  Sometimes you just have to let go of that fear (ha! easier said than done) and enjoy what's happening in the present.

I will say this though... I will never be traveling alone. I have transportation pre-arranged in all the different cities that are through RELIABLE companies, all tours are through RELIABLE companies, and I've even heard first hand reviews stating that these are all legit.

I think the best thing someone can do to ease a persons mind about solo travel is provide them with as much information as possible. Show them that you did your research. In my case I have a detailed itinerary of what I'm doing every day, where I'm staying, the address and phone number of each place.... as much detail as I can possibly put down on paper.

I'm the type of person who thinks about everything. Every little detail. Every little thing that could possibly go wrong. And I have a plan. I plan, plan, plan and I will probably still be planning things out in my head as I'm waiting in the airport! :)

Next post will be my typical "night before" post, but in the meantime please keep me in your prayers! Prayers for safety first and foremost and prayers for a good time in which I can learn and grow and have those once in a lifetime experiences !!