365.4: WEEK 12 & 13

Kenya posts will commence this week, but first I wanted to get up-to-date on our 365 photos. There has been a wide variety of emotions in the week and a half since I returned from Africa. We've had to adjust to a whole new norm. Working from home. Receiving free lunches (and breakfasts!) from the school. Social distancing while hiking (and apart from one I run safely with, the last I've seen of friends). Getting cozy at home and watching movies together. Spreading sunshine with chalk art. Working on supplemental work provided by our school. Seeing teachers from a safe distance during our school's "parade". Enjoying a picnic [school provided] lunch. Riding bikes and leaving messages of love at my parents' house. Finding fossils on an adventure in the forest near Payson. Going on a family walk to pass time.

March 19th - March 29th

365.4: WEEK 10.5 & 11.5 (IN KENYA)

I'm going to continue to catch up on 365, but I wanted to post the two weeks in Africa as a whole. Detailed posts are soon to come about our experiences in Kenya, but here is a brief look at some of our incredible adventures. Catching a midnight red eye to New York. Navigating the JFK airport. Visiting the National Museum in Nairobi. Feeding Betty the giraffe at Giraffe Centre. Seeing baby elephants return from the forest to the Sheldrick orphanage. Making friends at a nomadic village in Samburu. First helicopter flight to Retiti, a remote elephant sanctuary. Spotting a white rhino in Borana. Standing atop a rock that was inspiration for Pride Rock. Finding lions in the Masai Mara. Jumping with Maasai warriors in their village. Getting up close to Nile crocodiles at Mamba Village in Nairobi. [Barely] making it back to the US because of coronavirus.

March 6th - March 18th

KENYA: A PROLOGUE

It's insane to think that just ten days ago, I was in Africa with my oldest daughter. Coming back to America was like entering a completely different reality thanks to the coronavirus. Luckily, it did not impact my trip in any way; I was able to spend ten incredible days traveling throughout Kenya without pause, visiting a variety of habitats. We saw every animal that we could have hoped to see and experienced so many breathtaking adventures. And now that I have a shiny, new computer, I am going through and editing all of the images from my trip. I plan to break up our adventures into four separate posts - one for each of the four locations that we stayed at.
But first, why. And how.
Almost fifteen years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Mozambique with a small humanitarian organization called Care For Life. I spent nearly a month volunteering in orphanages and building huts in communities; it changed my life entirely. I got my BS in Geography because my experience in Mozambique gave me an even greater love for the earth and for the variety of cultures found throughout the world. So, since I was 20 years old, Africa has had a part of my heart.
Fast forward to October of this last year. My biological cousin (from the botched snow trip) texted me and asked if any of my children had their passports. I laughed. Nope. She then posed a hypothetical question: if my oldest daughter had a passport, would she and I like to accompany my cousin and her daughter on a safari? Her daughter, the same age as my own, is OBSESSED with The Lion King and my cousin wanted to take her on this once in a lifetime adventure. Of course my answer was YES! But financially, there'd be no way that I could justify it with my family.
Now let me just stop right here for a minute. I have been incredibly blessed throughout my life with some amazing opportunities. A marine biology study abroad in Mexico. Volunteering for a month in Mozambique. Visiting one of my best friends in Japan. I KNOW I've had good fortune smiling down on me. But nothing compares with what happened next.
"If you didn't have to worry about financial..." WHAT. Was she implying what I thought she was implying? No way! My brain couldn't even fathom the offer that she was granting. But she was. My daughter and I were able to travel to Kenya for ten days because of one of the most selfless gifts that I have ever been the recipient of; at no cost. There is no way that I will ever be able to express enough just how grateful I was for this opportunity, not only for myself but for my daughter as well. The memories made will fill our hearts for a lifetime.
This is Betty, one of the sweetest and most well behaved giraffes at Giraffe Manor. And this is the only photo where I will edit the ridiculous amount of pellets that have fallen to the ground while feeding these gentle giants.

365.4: WEEK 9.5

Wait... that seems off. Rightly so. But the camera is packed and it will be a minute before I am able to blog again. So the first half of week 10 is really week 9.5. Rainy day. Riding to ballet in style. Playing with all the baby ducks. Packing for an extended trip.

March 2nd - March 5th

FUZZY DUCKS

When a friend of ours posted her new baby chicks on social media, my heart melted. Then, when she shared that she recently acquired four little ducklings, I knew that I had to see them. I invited myself over for a visiting the other morning and we spent a couple of hours catching up and loving on her babies. My heart melted! They were skittish at first but, after a while, they were snoozing on my lap and as happy as could be. And those cute baby chicks? They are now teenage chickens with attitude. But it was entertaining watching the ducks and chickens interact with one another for the first time. Thanks again, Karen!

HUZZAH

On Saturday, I went to the Arizona Renaissance Festival with two of my favorite people and we had a grand, old time! It was the first time in over 16 years since I have gone and it was every bit as fun as I had remembered. Our day was full of jousting, people watching, and petting sweet pups!