It all began quite innocently. Or so I thought. My hubby, Jack, returned home from a very long overseas business trip. He was exhausted and a bit overwrought. “I’m quitting. This is enough traveling for me. I’ve had it.”
This couldn’t be happening. Visions of bills piling up filled my head. His moping around the kitchen hours on end. No way.
I quickly suggested a getaway. Fishing? A cruise? Take some days off and relax? My mind was racing for a solution.
“Africa,” he said. “I want to go to Africa.” Huh? Where was this coming from? Yes, I knew he enjoyed spending summers as a kid at his uncle’s farm. And he devoured animal books and could win the pants off anyone in trivia pursuit when it came to world geography. But, Africa?
This Bronx girl was hardly happy about going camping. However, I said “let’s make a deal”. If Jack would carefully research what entailed in going on an African safari and tuned me into his research, I’d consider his idea.
I figured in a few days or so, he would be rested and this would all blow over.
However, within a few months, our mailbox was teeming with slick brochures exclaiming the virtues of a safari in Botswana. The phone rang constantly from people all over the US extolling the excitement of camping in the bush. Jack had done his research. And by the end of the year, he had somehow managed to save without impinging on the family budget.
A deal was a deal. I now had to hold up my end of the bargain. And go. And go I did, but I went kicking and screaming.
Never realizing that my life would forever change with that one ‘deal’.
Inspiring.
I love seeing the photos of your adventures in Africa. My biggest regret in life will be that we never had the opportunity to visit you while you were there.
That would have been awesome. We would have welcomed the opportunity to show you ‘our home away from home’. The four of us would have had a blast in Cape Town. But we have great memories of our times together in Cleveland.
You are too stinkin cute in those pictures. I love your sense of adventure. Keep posting the pictures, I can live vicariously through them . I am pretty sure I will never camp and probably never have the opportunity to travel to Africa. Best wishes on putting this all together. ❤️
Thanks, Karen. I think we were all ‘stinkin cute’ back in the day. I look at those photos and can’t believe it’s me. Although I think Jack hasn’t changed all that much. Looking forward to another get together with you two. More photos to come…..