Michael and I are flying out today for a six-week trip to Africa. What started as a self-drive adventure in Namibia became a bigger trip with the addition of Cape Town (pre) and Dubai (post).
10 Day Tanzania Safari - Hot Air Balloon Ride + Leopards
We spent three nights in the Northern Serengeti with three goals: to witness the great wildebeest migration, to ride a hot air balloon, and to spot the elusive leopard. We watched the wildebeest cross the Mara River on our first day. The next, we eagerly set out for the balloon ride, a first for all of us.
It was time to make a change.
In case you didn’t notice, I have a new logo ☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼 and it fits my new website I’ve been working on. I hired a graphic designer on Upwork and the entire process was a revelation. I uploaded my job requirements and in 24 hours received proposals from talented designers all over the world. After reviewing everyone’s portfolios, I chose Hanna from Seattle and couldn’t be happier.
Hanna drew the double birds on her first pass and I saw a representation of TT, my personal and business initials. Once the birds were in my consciousness, I realized that they were, in fact, already around me.
Sign #1 - I have four framed Audubon bird prints on my bedroom wall.
Sign #2 - next to three Bordallo Pinheiro ceramic flying swallows.
Sign #3
One of my favorite memories in Lisbon and captured so effortlessly by my husband Michael, was the time in Barrio Alto when a flock of birds coming from nowhere flew so close to us in an otherwise empty street.
“If it’s me reading the signs”, this match was meant to be.
I was supposed to go to Colombia this month on a Familiarization trip sponsored by the Colombia Tourism Board. The trip has been postponed due to rising COVID cases. It’s a strong reminder that although vaccinations in America are fueling the surge in travel bookings, the rest of the world is not quite there yet.
Last Sunday, for the very first time since January 2020, I hosted a family dinner at home. Our sons Alex and Abe who have had their first vaccine shot came with full appetites. Mom (our special guest of honor), Michael and I are fully vaccinated. The event is worth mentioning because this is the first time that we all hugged and kissed each other without reservation. That is cause for celebration in itself.
10 Day Tanzania Safari - The Great Wildebeest Migration
The Greatest Show on Earth
High up on my bucket list was the Great Wildebeest Migration across the Mara River in Tanzania. We were fortunate to witness this not once, but twice. In the vastness of the Serengeti, there were only a handful of tourists and only a smattering of safari vehicles on the river banks. In a normal year, hundreds of jeeps line the Mara River jockeying for the best viewing position.
