zambian adventures & an elephant-riding dream come true

Turns out Zambia has a whole lot to offer in the adventure department

I think I’ve flooded instagram and facebook enough by now to be pretty annoying but here is just a quick recap of our time in Zambia 

he is still working on growing in his mane

We went to an animal conservation (conservatory?) 

and petted/walked/hung out with lions and cheetahs and learned all about them and all the dreams I didn’t even know I had came true

We also got to watch them "run the cheetahs" and it turns out they really are pretty fast 

probably-not-drugged up but still incredibly well-behaved cheetahs

A lot of people have asked me if they were super drugged up and if that was the reason we could get so close and I have been thinking about it and am just going to say no even though I guess I am not 100% positive but the trainers were all super nice and great and at least from what I read they train them and take some of them to schools/other places to raise awareness about conservation and the others they release them back into the wild when they are ready.

So yeah I didn’t actually check for drugs but I’m going to guess no.

One of the other most important things to happen in my life is that I FINALLY GOT TO RIDE AN ELEPHANT

dreams comin' true right before your eyes

So I got to fulfill this dream as well (one that I was very aware I’ve always had)

It was everything I ever imagined/basically like riding a really fat and slow horse. Pretty neat.

Also the elephant handler said he thinks he has more in common with elephants than humans so that is pretty cool

One day I hope I find my spirit animal and can tell people I understand them more than humans

The next day we went to Victoria Falls which is every bit deserving of its one of the Seven Wonders of the World status

not even doing it justice

It is often called “the smoke that thunders” (something else in Chichewa but I don't remember and you don't really care) and is so loud and beautiful and you get completely soaking wet if you get anywhere near it

We started the morning off by taking a boat out to Livingstone Island and hanging out literally on the edge of the falls (as referenced to by both Aerosmith and these pictures)

can looking at waterfalls be a hobby?

There is a permanent rainbow and everything is green and beautiful and there were so many times that I just felt so thankful to live in such an amazing world

I don’t know how to write about all of this without bragging (slash humble bragging) or being annoying but also there are parts you shouldn’t be jealous about including but not limited to the 30-hour bus ride of doom between Zambia and Malawi.

But let’s be honest who wants to hear about that and when I am looking back on these I’d rather not be reminded about sitting in a sweaty, smelly bus for longer than should be legal

so instead i will share the good stuff (which there is so much of!)

ready to zipline across the most beautiful gorge you ever did see 

Not too much time left here (don't want to talk about it) but still lots more to write about

coming attractions include a 3 day hike and some of the most slippery moss i have ever encountered 

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

p.s. sorry for the super narcissistic tendencies and 27 photos of my face but the other (cooler) pictures (that were not just of myself) won't load and i am out of patience
SORRY