This trip and experience has been exactly what I needed this
year. In March, I was told by my old boss
that I couldn’t be a zookeeper and do this program. Her words gnawed away at me. My mental state and spirit had been declining
at work and this was the dagger to the heart.
I was devastated that someone who had been so supportive of me doing
this program was out of the blue so against it.
Fortunately, I was able to get a new job where everyone was very
supportive. My new bosses even
rearranged the whole department’s schedule so that I could go on this trip. Despite
all the support of my new coworker and bosses, my old boss’s words were still
in the back of mind.
Going to Namibia was a trip of my many firsts for me. This was my first time flying overseas, first
time being in Europe and Africa, and my first time really having to navigate
multiple flights and airports by myself.
I had been crazy excited about this trip since I found out I was going
back in January so when I woke up on my flight to Johannesburg at 3:30am and
saw we were over Angola, I had my first “Africa” moment. I couldn’t believe I was over Africa and that
I would be spending the next two weeks here.
The adventure that awaited me was truly life changing. It gave me back my fire. I got to Africa not knowing what to do and I
left determined to show my old boss wrong.
I can be zookeeper and change the world.
Looking back on this experience, I don’t know that one
particular moment stands out. There are
so many incredible things we got to experience and share together. But if I
have to choose one, I think it was when we went on the game drive after having
all those lectures. I sometimes have
really bad anxiety in social situations and I’m always wondering and
questioning if I’m really part of the group or if people really care what I
think. I remember on the game drive
singing Hakuna Matata and being weird and silly and being totally content. There were other people who were just as
weird as I am and we were fully embracing our weirdness.
Game Drive
Hakuna Matata
I came home completely rejuvenated and feeling
supported. I remember talking about my
master plan and how it had completely fallen apart. I remember the looks on everyone’s face when
I told what my old boss had said to me.
I remember the support and love I felt from everyone. I’m extremely happy I got to meet all these
wonderful people and got to share this experience with them. When I think about this trip, I think about
the animals I got to see, but I mostly think about the random moments I had
with people: Finding other goat obsessed people, staying up all night at the
water hole in Etosha, singing Hakuna Matata on the game drive, hanging out by
the fire, and that first night we all thought we were going to be eaten by a
leopard.
All nighter at the water hole: 3am lion pride
