For the past 15 months I have been happily living in a tent....there have actually been multiple tents, the amenities of which continue to increase with each change. It started with no running water and a drop toilet
to a tent with a bucket shower and a bed off the ground, but no zipper,
It has been an adventure and 90% of the time a fun one. However, there come certain points when living in a tent just gets to be too much....this past week was one of them...from the possible parasites in my stomach to a hyena stealing our laundry basket (try hand washing hyena slobber out of your clothes...not effective) to a sudden onslaught of tons of teeny tiny bugs all over the tent to 8 months without a refrigerator and limited electricity and being exhausted from attempting to build a house and office for almost a year, only each time we get close there is some unknown obstacle that pops out of nowhere....ok, now I am just whining (which is unattractive, especially considering that I do spend about a third of my time in town).
What I am really getting to is how my 5 day trip to London (the 12th-17th), where I will be getting all long overdue doctor appointments out of the way (including killing whatever weird African stomach disease I have picked up), could not come at a better time! In my imagination, my parents London flat is like a corner of heaven that is just waiting for me...a bed with a real mattress and refrigerator full of a variety of organic foods, a neighborhood with amazing boutiques, plays and museums just around the corner...and on top of it all, seeing my parents and sneaking in an out of the ordinary visit! What a delight! At first I felt guilty, because I am going alone and leaving my husband in our tent in the bush....however, the guilt subsided slightly when I said, "Don't you want to take a couple days off and have a little break? Hope you are not mad that I am going to London without you?" and he replied, "What I would just love to do is pack a bedroll (camping mattress) and cooler box and go for a five day road trip in Tanzania." Now, usually I would be game and say, "Me too. We should totally go!"....but not today, not this week. This week you could not pay me to do a trip like that.
Although I have just done a fare share of complaining, I do happen to consider myself an optimistic person, which is why I will end with a bunch of pics of some of the fun things that have happened/we have done since we started living in a tent:
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Beautiful Sunsets |
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Family and Friends Come to Visit! |
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Ryan and Lizzie come for Thanksgiving- they met at our wedding (totally claiming matchmaking responsibility for this!) and now are working at an amazing lodge in Tanzania: www.chemchemsafari.com |
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Close Encounters |
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Getting My Flying Fix....or at least pretending to! |
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The Half Marathon |
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Our Wedding! Cannot believe it has been over 10 months! |
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And More Sundowners! |
www.chemchemsafari.com : What it is: This fantastic location is perfect for unforgettable walking safaris and bird watching excursions.
http://wolfganghthome.wordpress.com/ : What it is: THE AVIATION, HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM NEWS SITE FOR EASTERN AFRICA AND THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION
http://www.ngojobsonline.com/ : this site was started by the CFO/COO of African Parks Network. What it is: A job seeking website dedicated to the global NGO sector. Jobseekers can search jobs below or use the jobseekers page to register on the site. Employers may also register, which is required in order to list jobs and access our unique hubbing technology. Happy searching!
