Camping in Africa 

(Originally written days ago) 

This morning I experienced two amazing things almost simultaneously upon waking. First, I realized that I had slept through the entire night for the first time since this camping trip has begun.. As an ultra light sleeper, this was huge. Getting enough rest is no easy feat when surrounded by the sounds of tent zippers, rustling backpacks and people talking and getting up at all different times in surrounding tents.

Seconds later, as I began stretching comfortably in the warmth of my sleeping bag, I heard an unfamiliar noise, which I could identify only as non-human. As I lay still, eyes open in the darkness, I smiled to myself, imagining the animals gathering at the nearby watering hole. I am camping in Africa! I thought. I am laying in a sleeping bag, listening to wild animals roam freely nearby. I get to watch the sun rise each morning as I take down my tent, and witness the sky changing its mood, from warm pink to rose to a soft blue. How lucky am I?  

I savored the moment, still cozy and content, knowing I had woken early, and would have a while before needing to step out into the chill of the Namibian dawn. Minutes later, my tentmate woke, and just as we were greeting each other, I heard it again. ...“Did you hear that?” I whispered excitedly. “Yes. What do you suppose it is?”, she wondered.

It was 5:20, and we decided to get a head start. The cold metal of the tent poles on our palms made us move quickly, and I silently wondered as we rolled up our tent if I'll ever stop minding all the dirt, sand and grass that immediately coats my hands when packing it. But as usual, once it was in the bag and we were carrying it back to the truck, I looked back at the ever-changing sky and felt a sense of accomplishment - a strong feeling of satisfaction. As we headed over to the breakfast area and I began to spoon some oatmeal into a dish, our driver greeted us all. “Good morning everyone”, he said, in his charming South African accent. “Did anyone hear the lions this morning?” “WHAT lions?” everyone responded, almost in unison. And I smiled to myself as I sprinkled some sugar on my oatmeal and gave the cinnamon a few more taps. I am camping in Africa.