As some of you know, I have an upcoming business trip to
South Africa. My plane ticket was purchased
this week and the reality of it all is setting in. . There is such a sense of intensity within me
for opportunities to see new places
and cultures. The opportunities for fresh
experiences abound in this country and I can’t wait to get there and be a part
of it.
I would have loved to be able to include Jason in this
(possibly, but hopefully not) once in a lifetime experience. The funds are simply not available for him to
accompany me at this point though. He
has been gracious enough to offer to agree to let me use $200 of “our money” toward
my trip, which is incredible. He has
also been the greatest supporter of me taking advantage of the location I will
be travelling to and staying a few extra days on my own to have some
adventures.
To that end I’ve decided to stay in country for an
additional eight days after my work is complete. I’ve decided I will leave Cape Town (where I’ll
be working) and take a two-hour flight to Durban. From
there I will rent a car and drive up to St. Lucia. I’ve found wonderful backpacker accommodations
there and many opportunities for tours and activities. There are few elements of travel that cause
me concern, however, sitting behind the wheel on the right side of a car and
driving in the left lane will be a massive adjustment for me. It’ll be baptism by fire. Wish me luck!
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| Cape Town in the SW and Durban in the NE |
Some of the opportunities I’m hoping to take advantage of
are horseback safaris, driving safaris, kayaking safaris (yes I
know hippos are known to eat people… I want to do it anyway), and taking a
cultural tour into the local village.
From what I hear, the time of year I will be there (July is their
winter) will be an ideal time to see lots of animals and the temperatures will
be wonderful.
My planning process is only beginning, but I am so excited
and thankful for this opportunity. My
world is currently consumed by both planning and working to earn any additional
money I can to pay for my trip. I’m
committed to it, so I have to work every angle I can to get the money to pay
for it. I’ve been buying furniture at
auctions and spending many hours refinishing it to sell for extra money. I am taking on odd jobs for friends. I’m also taking advantage of opportunities to
work a few hours for companies in my industry who need extra help. It’s a lot to take on, but I do it with
incredible joy knowing what the end goal is.
Now that more specific plans are falling into place I’ve determined I
will need about $1,500 to make all these experiences possible. It’s quite a small price tag for an 8 day
trip, but it’s far more than I have at the moment. Luckily I travel light with only a backpack
and require very modest accommodations.
I’m looking forward to taking all of you along on this
journey via my blog. I’ve set up a
gofundme page if anyone would like to contribute to my trip. I think it’s actually quite silly to ask others
to donate money for such a cause when there are far more worthy opportunities
to give money to, but like I said, I have to work every angle to ensure this
all comes together. Click here to donate.
To relentless adventures! To the Max!
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