Safari

Last year, my friend Pam decided that she was finally ready to take her trip of a lifetime, an African Safari. She spent months planning it, saving her money, shopping for the right clothes, getting her shots, gearing up her courage for 3 weeks in the open savannah. She just got back a few weeks ago, and brought over her 1500 pictures and videos on thumb drives for me to peruse at my leisure. It was a magical experience to see what she saw, hear what she heard. I remembered my own single day safari in Kenya 5 years ago, remembered the awe at seeing wildlife up close, without bars or locks. I saw the look of contentment on her face in the few pictures of her, seeing her in a new way; not as a busy charge nurse, brimming with professional skills honed over years of diligent work, but as a brave woman, willing to step away from her busy life and do this one thing that she had dreamed of doing for such a long time. No more excuses, no more fears, she stepped into her trek with the confidence with which she does everything. I am glad for her. Some people wait too long to be brave, and never do that one thing. Thank you for sharing your dream with me, my wonderful friend.