Pretending to live in The Lion King

This is my cousin’s (technically uncle, but he’s only 4 years older than me so we don't bother with semantics) photography page. He works in the Chobe National Park which I think makes him the person with the best workplace I know. Do you get to see lions and leopards and wild dogs at your office? Precisely.

Anyway, on one of my rare forays onto Facebook last night we got to chatting and he invited me to visit. Dudes. I am too weak to resist. You have no idea how much I love the African bush. Just…yes. Cue one of my typical flights of fancy! I'm seriously considering it. Seeing as my family are all in bloody Cape Town in December when I was going to stay with them I’m thinking hey, maybe I can just pop up to Botswana for a bit instead. If I fly out here on Boxing Day and then catch a flight up to Livingstone (cause I’m not flying into Zimbabwe, thanks), he can just come pick me up. Right? Right?? It’s totally doable. Plus I can write lots of travel pieces for them so it’s value added having me there. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Logistically, it's not too much of a stretch. I can fly up there for $250 and stay for a week, go back to Jo’burg in preparation for ze wedding (and for that I still need to convince someone to drive me there/back) and then off to Londres. There for about a week until R arrives and then Paris! I am starting to get a little (see also: hugely) excited.

Before then I still need to do a boatload of stuff though. Get visa(s), an international drivers license maybe), travel insurance…tickets. Buy supplies like new headphones and socks and a light-weight towel and one of those sleeping bag insert thingies. Look into internet options and phone options. Talk to all the mag editors and set up freelance work – and for that I think I need a BSB. All sorts of things!

And time is running out. It’s already the middle of October. Little over two months until I’m jobless and getting ready to leave. Did I mention I’m also a little terrified? Cause I am. Bit of a big deal, taking off for so long. But good too. Necessary. I earned it.

Yay!

Music: The quiet things no one ever knows - Brand New