Anna's genuinely happy moments in Kruger National Park

The second half of our excursion took us to Kruger National Park. A game reserve that has status as its own province of South Africa. After about a 6 hour bus drive from Johannesburg, our giant coach bus finally crossed the threshold into the park as Vernon welcomed us to Kruger. Driving along a paved road surrounded by trees and bushes, one might have thought that we were driving down a neighborhood road in Storrs. That is until our bus slowed to a stop, and all 30 of us jumped to one side faces pressed against the glass. There just beside the road a herd of elephants was making its way through the trees. In awe we stared out the window, like giddy children we snapped pictures as our excitement mounted, wondering what we might see next. We made it to Skukuza, the area of the park where we would be staying, its entrance marked buy a giant gate, the beginning of the high electric fences that stretched all of the way around the perimeter of the chalets, the only thing standing between  us and the African Bush or from being “cat” food our guide later remarked. We went on two game drives and a walking safari, seeing almost all of the so called “Big 5.” 

Anna, Patrick, & Sharon on Game Drive at Kruger National Park

After waking up and literally walking out my front door to monkeys hanging out in front of my hut, it was on our 4:30 am drive when I was sitting face to face with a wild giraffe that I think it finally sank in just how freaking cool my life is and just how lucky I am. Going on a safari in Africa has literally been a life dream of mine as silly as it sounds, and it was more than I could have asked for. I began reflecting on everything that I have done in the past three and a half months and thinking about the fact that I will be backpacking through Europe (WHAT) just three weeks from now and how much I love the people that I'm having these experiences with. I haven't laughed, cried, smiled, or felt as much emotion in such a short amount of time in my life, ever, as I have here. I distinctly remember sitting there having a staring contest with this wild giraffe surrounded by these people whom most of I've only really known for 4 months and thinking to myself that I have literally never been more myself, at peace, or happy, purely, genuinely, happy than in that moment.