A few months ago, I was chatting with my mom one evening and reflecting how, after several rather tumultuous years, everything in my life seemed to be coming together. Work was good; family was healthy; I was feeling a newfound zest for life and, last but not least, I was getting to travel to places I’d once only dreamed of. But even as I contemplated this happy turn of events, I couldn’t help but feel a bit worried. As I confided in my mom, I always fall prey to that most human of frailties: the belief that, if things are going really well, it won’t last. What would come along to burst my happy bubble? What new threat might lurk around the corner? When would everything come crashing down around me?
I was trying to figure out how to deal with these fears in the back of my mind, to be able to enjoy my present life without being overly anxious about the future. My mom, as she always does, stepped up with some very sage advice: “Honey, just ride the wave.”
In other words, don’t look back to the past with dread or to the future with uncertainty about what it will bring. Just be here, in the moment, take it all in, and be happy.
So, I’ve been doing my best to take my mom’s advice. And now, as I set off from home again, I’m excited to announce yet another piece of good fortune this year, in the form of yet another travel adventure….
I’m going to East Africa!
Melissa’s East Africa Itinerary (with a stop on the way home…)
So, where will I be going and what will I be doing? Well, mostly working as this is a business trip, but I’m still hopeful of squeezing in some fun, travel-oriented experiences along the way…read on for details!
I leave tomorrow for Nairobi, the first stop on the trip, where I’ll be spending five days—mostly in conferences for work (which I’m excited about, as I’ll be meeting colleagues from all over the world for the first time), but I do have a full day free before I leave Kenya so I’m hoping to get to do a half-day mini-safari at a game park just outside the city. Also, on our meeting agendas, the planners have thoughtfully included an optional excursion “to see giraffes”—what’s cooler than that to kick off a workday at 6 am? The answer, obviously, is nothing!
My next stop is Uganda, where I will spend a week working, mostly in Kampala but also including a visit to the surrounding countryside. I don’t have much more detail than that yet, but I’m very excited to see even a little of this impressive-looking country (Winston Churchill once called it “The Pearl of Africa”!)
Finally, I’m wrapping up two weeks of work travel with possibly the best stopover ever: I’ll be spending three days in Paris! Again, it will mostly be meetings, but I have nearly an entire Sunday free when I arrive and, come hell or high water, I’m determined to fight off any fatigue from lack of sleep after a nine-hour night flight and get into the city to spend a little time at the Louvre (I’ve been once, but for an embarrassingly brief amount of time—I want to go back!), the Jardin des Tuilleries, and of course, the greatest draw for me in Paris: Café Angelina, home to the world’s most scrumptious hot chocolate. I’m already anticipating the happiness the visit to this chocolate shrine is going to bring me…I wish I could bring some of that divine chocolate back for every single friend, family member, and reader of this blog!
The Louvre in Paris
So, off to East Africa (and Paris) I go. And I’m pretty much leaving the experience unplanned, for things to fall into place as they may. I hope to see some wild animals in their natural habitat, discover a few hidden gems in Nairobi, and soak in the beauty of the African countryside I’ve only glimpsed in photos before. It will be quite an adventure, I’m sure…and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it and, as Mom wisely suggested, just ride the wave.
Have you been to Kenya or Uganda? Any suggestions for me? Any great recommendations for Nairobi in particular (I’m still researching!) Follow along with me on twitter (@perpetualvoyage) where I’ll try to tweet as I go, wifi permitting!