I just returned from a six day, five night safari. I abstained from using my phone to be immersed in nature and to take the experience in fully. Zach, Ron and I went to four national parks: Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, and Lake Manyara. We also woke up at 5 am for a hunt with the Hadza tribe, one of the last hunter gatherer tribes left on earth. It was a life changing experience that I would recommend to anyone. Here are some key takeaways: live in touch with nature and its cycles, be grateful for the bare necessities not everyone has them, eat healthy, be patient and compassionate, master boredom, put yourself out there for others, don't be ashamed, dive into the unknown, stand up for what you believe in, learn interesting and new things. These takeaways came from seeing so many amazing animals throughout the day and driving through rural Africa seeing how millions of people live under unfortunate conditions. What struck me was that when we saw animals in the parks, most of the time they were sleeping or just standing still. I thought I would see some wild hunt or action, but the majority of times these beautiful creatures were just being. As humans we complicate so many things, because we are complicated creatures. However, it is important to remember to stay simple. Not having my phone and being in nature realized how much time a single day really is. There is infinite potential in a 24 hour period to grow, live, and change. When I was working the same routine made it seem like you are going around in circles, not upward. Being able to step outside of this has made me appreciate and understand how much can truly be accomplished in a single day. Next, we drove by many mud huts and houses made of solely sticks and bushes. It was sad to see so many people living in extreme poverty. Even though these people did not have much, they were so happy and kind and appreciative for their own life. I have seen movies and read books about Africa, but seeing the people and their life in person really makes a difference. I would urge people to come to Africa solely for this purpose. Lastly, hunting with the Hadza tribe was an insane experience. We woke up super early and went to see the tribe. The tribe speaks with clicks for some of their words. They do not know the time or when they were born. They start hunting when the birds start chirping and know their age based on the seasons. They hunt baboon, birds, squirrels, kudu and more. We hunted with three boys/men who caught a couple birds and a squirrel. Sometimes they do not eat for days if they do not catch anything. Zach brought up a good point of how we should go hunting more back home to be in touch with catching food from the source and going back to our ancestral roots. There is so much more to say about these past 6 days but this is what comes to mind. Here are just a few pictures from the safari.
